May 17, (THEWILL) – By the time this essay is published, candidates from Lagos and Southeast Nigeria scheduled to retake the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) would likely have begun receiving their result notifications—finally experiencing some relief after enduring what has been described as a traumatic episode orchestrated by a so-called “human error” from JAMB.
But the tears shed by Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, the JAMB Registrar, in the aftermath of the outrage, may not be enough to wash away the psychological scars, career setbacks, and emotional wreckage left behind.
This shameful incident, which could have denied many otherwise qualified candidates—particularly from the Southeast—access to tertiary education, might have been forgivable if it were a first-time occurrence. Unfortunately, it isn’t. There seems to be a troubling pattern of inexplicable bias against candidates of Southeast origin under Oloyede’s watch.
It appears that Prof. Oloyede is on an ignoble mission to frustrate the educational advancement of Ndigbo—one of their most powerful tools in a system that has often worked overtime to marginalize them. Through subtle and not-so-subtle actions, public institutions like JAMB are increasingly being turned into instruments for executing an anti-Igbo agenda.
Back in May 2017, I raised a red flag in my article, “Exam Malpractice and JAMB’s Futile Attempt to Tarnish Igbo Image”, after Oloyede alleged that over 10,000 UTME candidates in Anambra State were caught cheating. He went further to claim they had all been handed over to security agencies—a claim that JAMB curiously walked back just 24 hours later.
Let’s revisit parts of that piece:
“Like a well-rehearsed script, no sooner had the exams ended than JAMB came up with a wild and ludicrous claim that more than 10,000 candidates were caught in exam malpractices in Anambra State, one of Nigeria’s foremost centres of academic excellence.
Unfortunately, while the Anambra announcement was hastily released in a bid to crucify Igbo candidates and deny them university admissions, JAMB reversed itself the next day—saying it would now review CCTV footage to identify culprits.
If JAMB needed to examine CCTV footage before making accusations, why didn’t it wait? Was CCTV only necessary for Anambra centres?
Even more baffling was the claim that while 10,000 candidates were allegedly caught cheating, the exams in Anambra were ‘successful’ and without disruption. How could such mass arrests not disrupt anything?”
Till today, that controversy was quietly swept under the carpet. No explanations. No accountability. No consequences. This lack of responsibility only emboldens actors like Oloyede to continue these questionable acts against Southeast candidates.
The recent excuse of a “technical glitch” or “human error” is hard to swallow, especially given the registrar’s track record. The 2025 UTME debacle has been dismissed as a mistake, yet its effects have been devastating, pushing some students to the brink of mental breakdown. If not for growing outrage and threats of legal action, would JAMB have ever considered a review?
Even Lagos, which was lumped into the re-examination, appears to be collateral damage in what many believe is a targeted campaign. Ironically, a significant portion of the affected Lagos candidates are likely of Southeast origin.
If Oloyede were guided by sincerity and fairness, his team would have immediately flagged the unusually high failure rate in a region known for academic excellence and initiated an internal review. Instead, they deflected, arrogantly claiming the outcomes were consistent with “recent trends.”
Now, Nigerians finally understand what JAMB meant by “recent trends.” And if this trend—deliberately or otherwise—continues, then we must ask whether JAMB is still serving the national interest or a narrow, prejudiced one.
Public institutions must rise above bias. JAMB should not become a tool for systemic oppression, especially against a resilient and historically marginalized group like the Igbo. The future of our youth is far too important to be sacrificed on the altar of ethnic or religious prejudice.
It’s high time Oloyede and JAMB buried any such narrow agendas. They must stop being so incompetent, so inconsiderate, so unresponsive, and so irresponsible. The future of our nation—embodied in the dreams of these young candidates—must never be destroyed in the service of parochial interests.
No amount of tears—crocodile or otherwise—can cleanse the injustice or undo the damage inflicted on the nation’s youth.
Jude Ndukwe sent this piece from Abuja via stjudendukwe@gmail.com
Jude Ndukwe
