Nigeria: JAMB Under Fire over mass failure as 13,955 Students Demand Answers while Legal Battle Looms Over 2025 UTME Glitches

On May 12, 2025, Alex Onyia, a vocal advocate for educational reform in Nigeria, announced a bold legal step against the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) through a Freedom of Information Act request. Represented by John Nwobodo & Associates, Onyia is demanding transparency following widespread complaints about the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) results, which were released on May 9. With 13,955 students reporting anomalies—ranging from technical glitches on April 24-28 to shockingly low scores—the stakes are high.

The 2025 UTME has sparked outrage, with 78.5% of candidates (1,534,654) scoring below 200, a benchmark for university admissions, compared to just 21.5% (420,415) who scored above. Students like @emmanue38344628 on X recounted harrowing exam experiences, including power outages and system malfunctions, while others, like @ObiMart85651195, shared stories of trauma over unexpected results. Onyia’s legal notice, addressed to the Minister of Education, the Senate President, and the Speaker of the House, calls for the release of mark sheets and a thorough review of reported glitches within seven days—or face litigation.

This move comes amid growing scrutiny of JAMB’s computer-based testing (CBT) system, which has been plagued by technical issues and allegations of systemic failures. JAMB Registrar Prof. Ishaq Oloyede reported that 39,834 results were withheld due to infractions like “extraneous fingerprints,” and four CBT centers were blacklisted for substandard performance. Yet, public trust remains shattered, as highlighted by Technext24’s analysis of the “academic disaster” that has exposed deep fault lines in Nigeria’s education system.

Onyia’s action, backed by thousands of affected students and parents, signals a critical juncture for educational accountability in Nigeria. As the seven-day deadline looms, all eyes are on JAMB to respond—or brace for a legal showdown that could reshape the future of standardized testing in the country.