The Muslim Public Affairs Centre (MPAC), Nigeria, has called for sanctions against the management of Esther Oshikoya CBT Centre in Ibadan over the alleged discrimination of Muslim female candidates during the ongoing Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME).

The group made the demand in a statement issued on Thursday following reports of an incident at the centre, which surfaced on X, formerly known as Twitter, earlier in the day.

MPAC condemned what it described as harassment, humiliation and religious discrimination against Muslim candidates who wore hijab to the examination venue.

According to the organisation, some female candidates, especially one identified as Miss Fatimah Salaudeen, were allegedly compelled to remove their hijab before they could be granted entry into the examination hall.

The group said such action was unlawful and contrary to the guidelines of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), which it said permits candidates to sit examinations in modest religious dressing, including hijab, subject to normal security checks.

MPAC said no candidate should be denied access to an examination because of her religious identity.

In the statement signed by its Executive Chairman, Disu Kamor, the organisation said the development caused distress to young candidates at an important stage of their academic pursuit.
It added that students who had prepared for the examination should not be subjected to embarrassment or exclusion because of their faith or manner of dressing.

MPAC, however, acknowledged the swift intervention of JAMB officials, security agencies and other stakeholders, saying their response helped restore calm and enabled affected candidates to proceed with their examinations.

The organisation noted that allowing the candidates to eventually sit for the examination did not erase the violation they had allegedly suffered.

It therefore urged the JAMB Registrar to order an immediate investigation into the incident and make the outcome public.

MPAC also asked the examination body to sanction the CBT centre and any personnel found responsible for the alleged discrimination and harassment.

The group further called on JAMB to publicly reaffirm its policy on religious attire, including hijab, during examinations to prevent similar incidents at centres nationwide.

It also requested stronger monitoring and enforcement measures across accredited CBT centres to ensure compliance throughout the UTME exercise.

According to MPAC, the matter should not be treated as a minor operational problem, adding that it raised concerns about accountability and respect for constitutional rights.

The organisation said Nigeria’s Constitution guarantees freedom of thought, conscience and religion, stressing that no student should be forced to choose between education and faith.

“As the UTME continues nationwide, JAMB must act swiftly to restore confidence and ensure all centres operate within the law, fairness and respect for fundamental human rights,” the statement said.

The UTME is the yearly entrance examination conducted by JAMB for admission into tertiary institutions across Nigeria, with thousands of candidates currently taking part in this year’s exercise.

As of the time of filing this report, there was no official response from JAMB or the management of Esther Oshikoya CBT Centre over the allegation.