Lagos, Thursday, 16/04/2026
The Muslim Public Affairs Centre (MPAC), Nigeria strongly condemns the incident of discrimination, harassment, and humiliation experienced today by Muslim female candidates at the Esther Oshikoya CBT Centre during the ongoing Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME).
According to credible reports, candidates – particularly Miss Fatimah Salaudeen – were compelled to remove their hijab as a condition for entry into the examination hall. This action is unlawful, unconstitutional, and in direct violation of the established guidelines of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), which clearly permits candidates to sit for examinations in modest religious dressing, including the hijab, subject only to non-discriminatory security checks.
This act amounts to religious discrimination, undue harassment, and the public humiliation of young candidates at a defining moment in their academic pursuit. It is wholly unacceptable in a plural society governed by the rule of law for any candidate, having diligently prepared for an examination to advance her education, to be excluded from sitting that examination on the basis of her religious identity.
While MPAC acknowledges the swift intervention of officials of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board, security agencies, and other stakeholders in restoring calm and allowing affected candidates to proceed with their examinations, such remedial action does not erase the violation already suffered.
MPAC therefore calls on the Registrar of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board to take immediate and decisive action as follows:
- Conduct a thorough investigation into the incident and publicly disclose the outcome;
- Sanction the CBT centre and responsible personnel for acts of discrimination, harassment, and rights violation;
- Reaffirm and widely communicate JAMB’s policy guaranteeing the right of candidates to wear religious attire, including the hijab;
- Strengthen monitoring and enforcement mechanisms across all CBT centres to ensure strict compliance throughout the UTME exercise.
This incident must not be trivialized or treated as an operational anomaly. It raises serious concerns about systemic lapses and the need for stronger institutional accountability.
Nigeria’s Constitution guarantees the right to freedom of thought, conscience, and religion. No candidate should be forced – under any circumstance – to choose between their faith and their education.
As the UTME continues nationwide, MPAC urges the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board to act swiftly to restore public confidence and ensure that all examination centres operate within the bounds of law, fairness, and respect for fundamental human rights.
Disu Kamor
Executive Chairman
Muslim Public Affairs Centre (MPAC), Nigeria
kamor.disu@mpac-ng.org
www.mpac-ng.org