Court Says JAMB Can’t Force Candidates To Remove Hijab For Exam, Orders Payment Of N10 Million To Teen Girl
The Oyo State High Court has ruled that the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board, JAMB, cannot force female candidates sitting the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination, UTME, to remove their hijab before taking the examination, declaring the practice unconstitutional, illegal, null and void.
Recalled that Miss Lawal Hameedat Adenike Olamide has sued the Joint Admission and Matriculation Board for forcing her to remove her Hijab or forget about writing the University Tertiary Matriculation Examination last year.
Because she is a minor, Miss Lawall sued JAMB and Pefti through her mother, Mrs Basirat Ojo Oba, stating that JAMB’s CBT Center violated her fundamental human rights and infringed on her rights to freedom of thought, conscience, and religion.
Miss Lawal in her suit through her counsel Qousim A. Opakunle, Esq, demanded, among others, an order of the court mandating JAMB and PEFTI to independently write to her apologizing for violating her fundamental human rights and also publish the apology letter in two national daily newspapers.
She also demanded compensation from both defendants for violating her fundamental human rights.
According to Miss Lawal, in her relief asked the court to declare that any rules made by the Defendants making the removal of hijab used for religious purposes by any female candidate of the Joint Admission and Matriculation Board examination is illegal, null, and void and a contradiction to the provisions of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as amended.
She also asked the court to declare that any rules made by the Defendants that force her to remove her hijab, adorned for religious purposes and making the removal a pre-condition for her to write the Joint Admission and Matrculation Board Examination on 25th April, 2025 at the PEFTI CBT Center of 32 Oyo Road Coco Cola Area, Bodija, Ibadan, Oyo State violates her fundamental human right guaranteed and provided in section 38, subsection (1)(2) and (3) of the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 as amended.
Delivering his judgment on on July 20th, 2026, Justice Y. S. Adekunle of the Oyo State High Court Sitting in Ibadan, declared that any rule made by the Defendants (JAMB and PEFTI) making the removal of hijab used for religious purposes by any female candidate of Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board Examination is illegal, null, void and a contradiction to the provisions of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as amended.
The court also declared that the action of the defendants forcing the claimant to remove her Hijab adorned for religious purposes and making the removal a pre condition for her to write the JAMB Examination on the 25th April 2025, at the PEFTI CBT Center, of 32 Oyo Road, Coco Cola Area od Bodija Ibadan, violates the claimant’s fundamental human right guaranteed and provided in section 38, subsection (1),(2), and 3 of the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended).
Furthermore, the court mandated the defendants JAMB and PEFTI to independently write to the claimant apologising for violating her fundamental human right and publishing the apology letter in two National Daily Newspapers within 7 days following the court judgment.
It also awarded a payment of N10 million to the claimant by the Defendants jointly as well as payment of N500,000 as cost of suit by the Defendants.
Speaking to Journalists after the judgments counsel to claimant, Qousim Opakunle emphasised the legal basis for the case commended the court as he said, “The action of the defendants volated Section 38 of the Nigerian Constitution, which guarantees freedom of thought, conscience, and religion. It is our duty to protect these fundamental rights, especially for minors who cannot defend themselves.”
