A human rights lawyer, Evans Ufeli, has instituted a N10 billion lawsuit against the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) and the Minister of Education over alleged widespread irregularities and technical failures in the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME).

The lawsuit, filed at the Federal High Court in Lagos, seeks the nullification of the entire 2025 UTME results and demands a fresh examination be conducted under fair and transparent conditions.

JAMB Registrar, Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, had on Wednesday acknowledged during a press conference that the initially reported mass failures were indeed the result of a systemic failure in the examination process.

According to court documents, the suit is being brought on behalf of aggrieved UTME candidates, many of whom are minors, as well as their parents and other stakeholders. The applicants are relying on Sections 34, 35, 36, 39, 42, and 46 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), along with relevant provisions of the African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights and the Child Rights Act, 2003.

The originating motion contends that the examination was plagued by technical failures, poor organization, and significant delays. These issues, according to the applicants, caused emotional distress to thousands of candidates and undermined the credibility and integrity of the examination results.

"The failure to provide a safe, timely and fair examination process amounts to a breach of the rights of the candidates under the Constitution and the Child Rights Act," the suit reads. "The entire exercise was conducted in a manner that endangered the physical and mental safety of children and is therefore unconstitutional."

The lawsuit further alleges that JAMB has either refused or failed to release the results of numerous candidates, deepening their distress and placing their academic futures in uncertainty.

Among the reliefs being sought is a perpetual injunction preventing JAMB and the Ministry of Education from using the disputed results for any academic or admission-related processes. The applicants are also demanding N10 billion in general damages for "psychological trauma, loss of opportunity, and the violation of fundamental rights" experienced by the affected candidates and their families.

The case highlights growing concerns about the administration of the UTME, which serves as the primary entrance examination for Nigerian tertiary institutions. As of the time of reporting, no date has been set for the hearing of the case.