Muslim students commend JAMB Registrar’s transparency, demand sanctions over UTME glitches

The Muslim Students’ Society of Nigeria, Lagos State Area Unit (MSSN Lagos), has commended the Registrar of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board, Professor Ishaq Oloyede, for his honesty and accountability in addressing the technical glitches that marred the conduct of the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME).

At a press conference in Lagos on Wednesday, the Society described Prof. Oloyede’s public admission of fault and his apology over the glitches that affected over 379,000 candidates across 157 centres as a “rare act of responsible leadership in Nigeria’s education sector.”

According to MSSN Lagos, the Registrar’s swift move to reschedule affected candidates for fresh exams on Friday and Saturday, and his openness about the failure of one of JAMB’s service providers, demonstrated “transparency, accountability, and a genuine concern for the well-being of Nigerian students.”

However, MSSN Lagos stressed that apologies must not replace consequences.

“While we commend Professor Oloyede for his forthrightness, we insist that erring officials and negligent service providers must not go unpunished. Centres found to have contributed to this failure, either through incompetence or violation of procedure, should be delisted immediately. Those responsible must be held accountable in accordance with the law,” the statement read.

In a related development, the Society also announced its full support for Lawal Hameedat Adenike, a teenage Muslim girl who has taken JAMB and PEFTI CBT Centre in Ibadan to court for allegedly forcing her to remove her hijab before being allowed to sit for her UTME on April 25, 2025.

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Speaking on the matter, Kamoldeen Abiona, Amir (President) of MSSN Lagos, said the reported act was a clear violation of the girl’s constitutional right to freedom of religion, as enshrined in Sections 38 and 42 of the Nigerian Constitution.

“Forcing a Muslim girl to remove her hijab to sit for an examination is unconstitutional, discriminatory, and traumatic. It is an act of religious profiling that has no place in a multi religious and democratic society like Nigeria,” the statement added.

Hameedat’s case, which has attracted national attention, is being pursued in court by her mother and legal representatives.

MSSN Lagos called on JAMB to launch an investigation into the incident and issue fresh directives to all Computer-Based Test (CBT) centres across the country, guaranteeing the right of Muslim female candidates to wear the hijab during examinations.

“No student should be forced to choose between her education and her faith. Being modestly dressed and being educated are not mutually exclusive,” the group emphasised.

The group urged JAMB to restore public confidence in the UTME process by strengthening its internal checks, taking disciplinary action where necessary, and protecting the rights and dignity of all candidates, regardless of religion or background.

While reiterating its support for Prof. Oloyede’s administration, MSSN Lagos emphasised that accountability, fairness, and respect for religious freedom must be the guiding principles of public service in a diverse nation like Nigeria.