A teenage girl, Lawal Hameedat Adenike, has dragged the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) and PEFTI to court for allegedly compelling her to remove her hijab before taking the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME).
The suit was filed on her behalf by her mother and legal representative, Basirat Ojo.
Speaking with journalists in Abuja, Ojo recounted that the incident took place on April 25, 2025, at the PEFTI CBT Centre in Ibadan, Oyo State.
“My daughter was denied the chance to sit for the exam unless she took off her hijab, which she wears as part of her religious obligations. It was humiliating and distressing for her. I couldn’t ignore such a violation of her rights,”; she said.
The lawsuit is seeking a public apology from both JAMB and PEFTI, to be published in two national newspapers. It also demands compensation for the rights violation and a court declaration that any policy compelling female candidates to remove their hijabs is unconstitutional.
Lawal’s lawyer, Qousim Opakunle, said the case is grounded in constitutional rights.
“This directive breaches Section 38 of the Nigerian Constitution, which protects freedom of thought, conscience, and religion. We have a responsibility to uphold these rights, especially for minors who are often unable to defend themselves,”; he stated.
