“UTME Uproar: 8,000+ Students Drag JAMB to Court Over Glitches, Incomplete Questions Amid Mass Failure”
The 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) has erupted into controversy, as over 8,000 candidates prepare to file a lawsuit against the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) following widespread reports of technical glitches, missing exam questions, and disputed scores.
The legal action, led by education advocate and CEO of Educare, Alex Onyia, is expected to begin Monday at the Federal High Court. Onyia revealed on Sunday that 8,391 students have so far submitted formal complaints challenging the credibility of the examination process.
“Currently, we have 8,391 students who have sent in their complaints regarding the glitches in the JAMB 2025 exam,” Onyia posted on his X (formerly Twitter) handle, @winexv. “There is ample evidence to prove that JAMB’s system was inefficient, thereby causing serious harm to these students’ mental health.”
The plaintiffs are demanding that JAMB release detailed individual marking sheets, disclose correct answers for each candidate, and establish a process to dispute questionable scores. “The destinies of these students are at stake,” Onyia said.
The outrage follows JAMB’s release of the 2025 UTME results on Friday, which revealed that more than 1.5 million out of the 1.9 million candidates scored below 200 marks—less than half of the total obtainable score of 400. The announcement sparked nationwide concern and accusations of systemic failure.
While Minister of Education Dr. Tunji Alausa hailed the results as evidence of effective anti-malpractice measures, critics argue the poor performance is tied to deep-rooted technological flaws and negligence on JAMB’s part.
A candidate who sat for the exam at a CBT centre in Maitama, Abuja, recounted: “During the examination, for my Use of English, I noticed that some of my questions were missing. I raised the alarm, and I wasn’t the only one. When my result came out, I scored 170. JAMB has not addressed the missing questions.”
Another candidate, who wrote the exam on April 26, said she was stunned by her result: “Last year I scored 287, this year I got 173. Many others who wrote on the same day complained that their English questions were incomplete. This result is not mine.”
Parents have also joined the chorus of discontent. “These are exceptional students scoring below 200,” one parent said. “Many complained of incomplete questions and other technical issues. JAMB has said nothing. This cannot be swept under the rug.”
As of the time of filing this report, JAMB has not issued any official response addressing the technical complaints. Multiple attempts to reach the board’s spokesperson, Dr. Fabian Benjamin, for comment were unsuccessful.
The impending lawsuit marks a significant escalation in the ongoing debate over the integrity of Nigeria’s tertiary admissions process, with students, parents, and education advocates united in calling for accountability and transparency from JAMB.