A teenage girl, Lawal Hameedat Adenike, has sued the Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB) and PEFTI for mandating her to remove her hijab before writing the just concluded University Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME).
Basirat Ojo, mother to Lawal who filed the case on her behalf alongside her lawyer(Qousim Opakunle)—in Abuja on Friday, said the incident happened on 25 April 2025 at the PEFTI CBT Centre in Ibadan, Oyo State. She narrated how she had taken her daughter to the centre only to be told she could not write the exam unless she removed her hijab, which she wears for religious reasons.
Basirat said it was a painful and humiliating experience for her as the mother of the young girl stating that the legal action she took was necessary to protect her rights.
In the lawsuit, Lawal is demanding a public apology from JAMB and PEFTI, to be published in two national newspapers, and compensation for the violation of her rights.
According to Opakunle, the demand violates Section 38 of the Nigerian Constitution, which guarantees freedom of thought, conscience, and religion.
“It is our duty to protect these fundamental rights, especially for minors who cannot defend themselves,” he said.
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