UTME Error: JAMB, Minister Face N10bn Lawsuit Over Alleged Candidates’ Rights Abuse

A human rights lawyer, Evans Ufeli, has initiated a N10 billion lawsuit against the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) and the Minister of Education over what he described as extensive irregularities and technical failures that affected the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME).

LEADERSHIP recalls that JAMB Registrar, Prof Ishaq Oloyede had during a press conference on Wednesday, acknowledged that a systemic failure contributed to reported mass failure in the examination.

The suit, filed at the Federal High Court in Lagos was brought on behalf of aggrieved UTME candidates comprising many minors, their parents, and other stakeholders.

Ufeli sought a declaration from the court that JAMB’s actions and omissions in conducting the 2025 UTME constituted 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 requested multiple declarations and orders, including the nullification of the entire 2025 UTME.

According to the originating motion, the applicants were contended that the examination process was fraught with technical glitches, poor coordination, and delays, causing emotional distress to thousands of candidates, most of whom were underage, and compromising the integrity of the results.

The motion further claimed that JAMB and the Ministry of Education’s failures jeopardised children’s rights to education under Section 15 of the Child Rights Act.

“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 alleged that JAMB refused or failed to release the results of several candidates, compounding their distress and leaving their academic futures in limbo.

Among the reliefs sought include court declaration nullifying the 2025 UTME results, an order mandating the conduct of a fresh examination under fair and transparent conditions, and a perpetual injunction restraining JAMB and the Ministry of Education from relying on the disputed results for any academic or admission-related purpose.

Additionally, the applicants demand N10 billion in general damages for the “psychological trauma, loss of opportunity, and the breach of fundamental rights” suffered by the affected candidates and their families.

At the time of filing this report, no date has been set for the hearing of the suit.