UTME Error: Lawyer Sues JAMB For N10bn, Demands Cancellation Of Exams
Human rights lawyer, Evans Ufeli, has filed a N10bn lawsuit against the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) and the Minister of Education over technical failures that allegedly marred the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME)
Recall that in a press conference on Wednesday, JAMB Registrar Prof. Ishaq Oloyede admitted that the reported mass failure in the examination was caused by “human error” and apologised to affected candidates.
He also announced that the 379,997 affected students will sit for the examination again.
The suit was filed at the Federal High Court in Lagos on behalf of aggrieved UTME candidates, their parents and other stakeholders.
Ufeli is asking the court to declare JAMB’s actions and omissions in conducting the 2025 UTME a gross violation of the candidates’ fundamental rights.
Citing Sections 34, 35, 36, 39, 42 and 46 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), along with Articles 17, 19 and 20 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights and key provisions of the Child Rights Act, 2003, the suit seeks multiple declarations and orders, including the nullification of the entire 2025 UTME.
In the originating motion, the applicants argue that the examination process, which was marred by technical glitches, poor coordination, and delays, has caused emotional distress to thousands of candidates, most of whom are underage.
The applicant argued that technical failures have compromised the integrity of the results released by the educational body.
The motion further claims that the failures of JAMB and the Ministry of Education jeopardised the rights of children to education under Section 15 of the Child Rights Act.
The suit read in parts, “The failure to provide a safe, timely and fair examination process amounts to a breach of the rights of the candidates under the Constitution and the Child Rights Act,” the suit reads.
“The entire exercise was conducted in a manner that endangered the physical and mental safety of children and is therefore unconstitutional.”
The suit also alleges that JAMB has refused or failed to release the results of several candidates, further compounding their distress and jeopardising their academic futures.
The applicant, therefore, prayed the court for an order nullifying the 2025 UTME results while mandating the conduct of a fresh examination under fair and transparent conditions.
He also sought a perpetual injunction restraining JAMB and the Ministry of Education from relying on the disputed results for any academic or admission-related purpose.
In addition, the applicant also demanded general damages of N10bn for what he described as “psychological trauma, loss of opportunity, and the breach of fundamental rights” suffered by the affected candidates and their families.
UTME Error: Lawyer Sues JAMB For N10bn, Demands Cancellation Of Exams is first published on The Whistler Newspaper
