A 17-year-old candidate, Lawal Hameedat Adenike, has filed a lawsuit against the Joint Admission and Matriculation Board and the PEFTI examination center following an incident during the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination.
The legal action, filed through her mother and legal representatives, alleges religious discrimination after she was reportedly forced to remove her hijab before taking the test.
The incident occurred on April 25, 2025, at the PEFTI Computer-Based Test Centre in Ibadan, Oyo State. Basirat Ojo, Lawal’s mother, recounted the traumatic experience to journalists in Abuja on Friday.
“My daughter was told she could not write the exam unless she removed her hijab, which she wears for religious reasons,” Ojo stated. “This was a painful and humiliating experience for her. As her mother, I had to take action to protect her rights.”
The lawsuit seeks multiple remedies, including a court declaration that any regulation requiring female candidates to remove their hijabs violates constitutional rights. The legal team is demanding a public apology from both JAMB and PEFTI to be published in two national newspapers, along with compensation for the alleged rights violation.
Qousim Opakunle, the family’s legal representative, emphasized the constitutional basis for their case. “This demand violates Section 38 of the Nigerian Constitution, which guarantees freedom of thought, conscience, and religion,” Opakunle explained. “It is our duty to protect these fundamental rights, especially for minors who cannot defend themselves.”
The case highlights ongoing tensions between religious practices and standardized testing procedures in Nigeria. Legal experts suggest this lawsuit could set an important precedent regarding religious accommodations in national examinations.
JAMB officials have not yet issued an official response to the allegations, though sources indicate the board typically requires proper facial identification for examination security purposes.
