The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) and PEFTI are being sued by a teenager named Lawal Hameedat Adenike, who claims she was forced to take off her hijab prior to the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME).
According to Vanguard, the candidate’s mother and attorney filed the case on her behalf. Speaking to reporters in Abuja on Friday, the mother, Basirat Ojo, described the incident that took place at the PEFTI CBT Centre in Ibadan, the capital of Oyo State, on April 25, 2025.
The mother claims that at the exam location, the candidate was informed that she would not be allowed to take part in the exercise unless she took off her hijab, which she wears for religious reasons. She bemoaned how painful and humiliating the development was for her daughter.
“I had to act as her mother to defend her rights,” she stated. The mother and Qousim Opakunle, the solicitor, are calling on JAMB and PEFTI to issue a public apology.
They insist that the apology, which emphasises the need for restitution for the infringement of her rights, be printed in two national newspapers. Lawal’s attorney also emphasised the case’s legal foundation.
Section 38 of the Nigerian Constitution, which protects freedom of thought, conscience, and religion, is violated by this demand, he said.
“We have a responsibility to defend these fundamental rights, particularly for children who are unable to defend themselves.”
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