By Muhammad Abubakar
The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has distanced itself from an incident involving the alleged discrimination against a hijab-wearing candidate at the Esther Oshikoya CBT Centre in Ibadan.
In a statement shared on his verified social media account, JAMB’s Public Communication Advisor, Fabian Benjamin, said the Board became aware of the incident during its routine monitoring of the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) screening process on Thursday.
According to him, the situation occurred during the first session of the examination day and was traced to an “overzealous” ad hoc staff member who acted in violation of established guidelines. He stressed that the action was neither authorised by JAMB nor part of the official procedures at the centre.
Benjamin noted that the Board immediately intervened, directing that no candidate wearing a hijab should be asked to remove or alter it under any circumstances. He added that the staff member involved had been cautioned accordingly.
“JAMB respects the religious beliefs and customs of all Nigerians,” he said, assuring candidates that their rights to religious expression, including mode of dressing, remain protected.
The Board further disclosed that all ad hoc personnel across examination centres have been re-briefed on proper screening procedures to prevent a recurrence of such incidents.