The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board, JAMB, has penalised officials at a Computer Based Test, CBT, centre following an incident where a female candidate was allegedly forced to remove her hijab before taking the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination, UTME.
Details regarding the specific punishment handed down to the CBT centre officials remain undisclosed, but JAMB has confirmed that action was taken.
The incident, which JAMB authorities said they deeply regretted, happened at Bafuto Institute CBT centre in Ejigbo Lagos during the weekend.
Fabian Benjamin, the board’s head of public affairs and protocol, described the incident as a product of the “misplaced priority” of some of the board’s accredited partners or officials who “claimed ignorance” of the board’s guidelines on accreditation.
JAMB has strict guidelines regarding candidate attire during exams. Their regulations specifically state that religious attire is permitted as long as it does not obstruct facial recognition during the accreditation process.
“The board deeply regretted the incident. This situation was instantly addressed by a senior official of the board at the centre and the candidate in question was allowed in after the usual checks with her hijab,” Benjamin said.
He added that the officials involved have been sanctioned to deter others from being involved in such discriminatory practices.
Ezinwanne Onwuka, senior staff reporter and columnist with WAP is a Nigerian-based writer and content developer. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Philosophy from the prestigious University of Nigeria, Nsukka. Her interests include reading, writing, researching and graphic designing.
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