There has been widespread outrage following the admission of error by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) in the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME), which affected thousands of candidates.
TheNewsGuru reports that the registrar of the examination body, Prof Ishaq Oloyede, admitted errors in the just-concluded exam during a press briefing in Abuja on Wednesday.
According to Oloyede, 206,610 in 65 centres were affected in Lagos, and 92 centres in Owerri zone were affected, comprising 173,387 candidates in the five states of the South East.
He also said, “The affected candidates will start getting text messages for reschedule starting from tomorrow. I apologize, I take full responsibility.”
The examination body began rescheduling the 2025 Unified Tertiary and Matriculation Examination (UTME) for 379,997 affected candidates in the South East and Lagos shortly after.
In the reprinted exam slip sighted, one of the affected candidates has been rescheduled to take her exam on Saturday, May 17, 2025 by 12noon in one of the Lagos centres in Igando community situated at the Alimosho Local Government Area of the state.
However, even with JAMB’s explanation of the reason for the error, there has been widespread outrage, with many calling for Oloyede’s resignation.
The strong reactions came after a 19-year-old girl, Opesusi Faith Timilehin, allegedly took her own life after scoring 190 in the exam.
Many Nigerians expressed shock and disappointment over JAMB’s handling of the exam, with some demanding accountability and others questioning the Board’s competence.
An X user, S.A.LA.K.O, criticized the Board’s response, saying, ” An institutional disaster where heads are supposed to roll, offices sacked and resignations tendered – as usual have silhouetted behind “God” Overtly religious societies are normally irresponsible societies. A girl committed suicide because of your ineptitude.WHOSE HEAD IS ROLLING?”
Daniel Oladoja questioned the Board’s reference to God, stating, ” God get patience sha, because if na me be God lasan, ma ti fun e ni blow loju. How dare you put this on God?”
Another X user, Olumide Adesina, condemned the Board’s insensitivity, saying, “The economic damage is huge, this tweet is quite insensitive, it fails to address the candidates’ pain.”
Major Godspower called out JAMB’s incompetence, stating, ” This is the height of irresponsibility. And you turn around to make quotations from God knows where. You had just 1 job and all year to prepare for it, yet you couldn’t deliver. Your first point of call is to apologize and e plain how you’re going to fix the problem. When you think it can’t be worse then they surprise you with more incompetence.”
Some social media users also mourned the alleged death of 19-year-old Faith, with one MrFrancis posting, “Bring her back to life” and Omo Akins asking, “So what happens now?”