LAGOS,Nigeria (VOICE OF NAIJA) – The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has taken disciplinary action against some of its accredited officials who ordered a Muslim candidate to remove her hijab.
The incident occurred at the Bafuto Institute, located at Ile-Iwe Bus Stop, Ejigbo, Lagos, during the accreditation process.
The candidate was requested to remove her head cover before being granted access to the examination hall.
In response to the incident, JAMB has expressed deep regret and issued a statement signed by the Head of Public Affairs, Dr. Fabian Benjamin.
The statement clarified that the incident, along with similar ones in the past, was not in line with JAMB’s examination guidelines. Instead, it was attributed to the misguided actions of some of its accredited partners.
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JAMB conducted a thorough investigation into the matter, emphasizing its commitment to upholding fairness and inclusivity in the examination process.
The board assured candidates and stakeholders that measures would be implemented to prevent such incidents from recurring.
Furthermore, JAMB announced that approximately 1.2 million candidates were expected to have completed the UTME by the end of the day.
The examination body emphasized that its accreditation guidelines mandate the screening of all candidates, with female officials assigned to screen female candidates before granting them entry into the examination hall.
The statement reads: “The attention of the board was drawn to an unfortunate incident at the Bafuto Institute, Ile-Iwe Bus Stop, Ejigbo, Lagos, where it was reported by Muslim News of Sunday, April 21, 2024, and other platforms, that a candidate donning hijab was asked to remove her head cover during the accreditation process before being allowed into the examination hall.
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“The board deeply regretted the incident and, on investigation, discovered that this particular incident or others in the past, is not linked to any of its examination guidelines but rather 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, which ensures that all candidates are screened, allowing only female officials to screen female candidates before allowing them to gain entrance into the hall.”