Jamb Sanctions Officials For Hijab Incident

The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has taken action against some of its officials following an incident where a female candidate wearing a hijab was asked to remove her headcover during the accreditation process before being allowed into the examination hall for the ongoing Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME). This action by JAMB, which occurred on a Sunday, April 21, 2024, was a response to the harassment faced by the candidate at the Bafuto Institute, Ile-Iwe Bus Stop, Ejigbo, Lagos. The incident was reported by Muslim News and other platforms.

JAMB deeply regretted the incident and, upon investigation, discovered that this particular event, or similar ones in the past, is not linked to any of its examination guidelines. Instead, it was a result of the misplaced priorities of some of the Board’s accredited partners or officials, who claimed ignorance of the Board’s guidelines on accreditation. These guidelines ensure that all candidates are screened, with female officials specifically responsible for screening female candidates before they are allowed entrance into the examination hall.

The situation was promptly addressed by a senior official of the Board at the centre, and the candidate in question was allowed in after the usual checks with her hijab. JAMB emphasized that “since ignorance of the law is not an excuse,” the officials responsible have been appropriately sanctioned to serve as a deterrent to others who might consider similar actions in the future.

The Board reiterated its commitment to the discharge of its statutory role of ensuring that suitably-qualified candidates are selected for admission into the nation’s tertiary institutions and will not allow anything or anyone to detract it from the pursuit of this noble goal. JAMB has no policy barring candidates from sporting religious paraphernalia peculiar to their religious persuasions, as these are common aspects of everyday life in Nigeria.