The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) has issued a scathing condemnation of the recent failures surrounding the 2025 examinations conducted by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) and the West African Examinations Council (WAEC), calling on the National Assembly to launch an immediate and comprehensive investigation.

In a strongly worded statement released on Saturday and jointly signed by NBA President, Mazi Afam Osigwe, and General Secretary, Dr. Mobolaji Ojibara, the Association described the recent conduct of national examinations as a gross violation of students’ rights and demanded full accountability.

The NBA expressed deep concern over widespread technical glitches, security breaches, and what it termed “inhumane examination conditions” that have plagued the country’s key examining bodies in recent weeks.

"JAMB recently released results for students seeking admission into tertiary institutions. However, the aftermath has been marred by nationwide complaints from students and parents about inexplicably low scores and technical inconsistencies,” the statement read.

Tragedy and Technical Failure

The crisis took a tragic turn with the reported suicide of 19-year-old Miss Timilehin Faith Opesusi, who allegedly ended her life after receiving a low score in the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME). The heartbreaking incident has fueled national outrage and placed JAMB’s systems under intense public scrutiny.

In a press briefing, JAMB Registrar Professor Ishaq Oloyede admitted that the Board’s computer systems had been compromised by hackers. Consequently, the results of 379,997 candidates across 157 centres in Lagos and the South East were nullified.

WAEC's "Shocking" Conduct

WAEC, currently administering the 2025 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE), has also come under fire. According to the NBA, reports from multiple states revealed that students were made to sit for exams late into the night — some as late as 9 p.m. — using candles or mobile phone torchlights where power supply was unavailable.

A particularly disturbing example occurred on May 28, when the English Language Paper 2 & 3, originally scheduled for 4:00 p.m., did not commence until 7:00 p.m., leaving students exhausted and vulnerable, especially in areas lacking proper lighting and security.

Disaster in Taraba

Two days ago, the situation turned catastrophic at Government Secondary School, Namnai, in Gassol Local Government Area of Taraba State. A classroom building collapsed around 6:00 p.m. — while students were still writing their exams. According to the NBA, students, teachers, and invigilators were trapped in the debris and had to be rescued by community members. Several were injured and taken to nearby hospitals.

“A Dangerous Shift in Educational Culture”

Describing the trend as a “new wave of institutional impunity,” the NBA warned that educational bodies tasked with nurturing Nigeria’s future are instead becoming sources of trauma and danger.

“It is deeply disturbing that institutions meant to promote knowledge and progress are instead violating fundamental rights,” the NBA stated. “The right to education is constitutionally guaranteed, and so is the right to dignity and humane treatment.”

“No student should be subjected to the psychological torture of writing an exam advertised for daytime hours but held under unsafe, late-night conditions. This is a gross abuse of students' rights.”

The NBA cited sections 34 and 39 of the Nigerian Constitution — which protect the right to human dignity and access to information — stating that the actions of JAMB and WAEC amount to constitutional breaches.

“WAEC did not announce it would conduct night-time exams in poorly lit, unsecured environments. Students did not agree to that, and any such examination is legally and morally compromised,” the statement emphasized.

NBA to National Assembly: Act Now

The NBA has therefore called on the leadership of the Senate and the House of Representatives to immediately establish a Joint Committee to investigate the crises plaguing JAMB and WAEC, with a mandate to identify responsible individuals and recommend appropriate sanctions.

“Without consequences, this failure will repeat itself — and likely with even more disastrous results,” the NBA warned.