A staff member deployed on an ad hoc basis at Esther Oshikoya CBT Centre in Ibadan has been identified as responsible for directing Muslim female candidates to remove their hijab before entering the examination hall during the 2026 UTME, prompting the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board to issue a public statement distancing itself from the action.
JAMB confirmed that its monitoring system detected the incident during the first session of the examination on Thursday, April 16, and that it stepped in immediately after the situation was flagged.
The board’s Public Communication Adviser, Fabian Benjamin, disclosed in a statement posted on X that officials contacted the ad hoc worker on the spot and issued a directive that no candidate wearing a hijab should be asked to remove or adjust it under any circumstances.
“The Board wishes to state clearly that this act was neither perpetrated by the centre nor part of its official protocol,” the statement noted. “It was the action of an overzealous ad hoc staff member who failed to adhere to the Board’s established guidelines regarding candidates’ religious attire.”
JAMB stressed that the incident did not represent its official position, adding that the board respects the religious beliefs and customs of all Nigerians. The matter, it confirmed, had been resolved promptly.
The board went further to reassure candidates sitting the ongoing UTME that their right to dress in accordance with their faith remains fully protected.
“We assure all candidates, regardless of faith, that their rights to religious expression, including dressing, remain a cornerstone of our policy,” Benjamin’s statement added.
To prevent a recurrence, JAMB confirmed that all ad hoc officials across examination centres nationwide have since been further briefed and reminded of the approved screening procedures.
The UTME is the annual entrance examination conducted by JAMB for admission into tertiary institutions across Nigeria, with thousands of candidates currently sitting this year’s exercise.
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