Students in several parts of Benue State were forced to write their West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) in darkness on Wednesday night, using phone torches and lanterns after an inexplicable delay in the distribution of examination materials.
According to reports, candidates had completed the essay component of their English paper earlier in the day but were made to wait for several hours for the arrival of examination officers with the objective section materials.
The delay extended until approximately 8:00 to 9:00 pm in some examination centers, with students reportedly completing their papers as late as 11:00 pm under improvised lighting conditions.
"We waited for hours after writing the essay. When the exam officer finally came, we had to use our phone lights and lanterns to write the objective section. It was very stressful," said a student from a secondary school in Ogbadibo Local Government Area who requested anonymity.
Another student noted that no meaningful explanation was provided for the significant delay, stating that the exam officer simply distributed the papers without addressing the situation.
Parents Express Concern Over Safety
The unusual examination schedule caused panic among parents, many of whom rushed to schools upon learning that their children were still writing exams late into the night.
"This is a national disgrace. How can children be writing exams in the bush, under darkness, at such a dangerous hour? Is this how we want to educate the future of Nigeria?" a visibly frustrated parent in Owukpa told reporters.
The security situation in the area further complicated matters, with a local community leader in Owukpa reportedly arranging accommodation for an examination officer who could not return home due to safety concerns after 11:00 pm.
"We had no choice but to let him sleep here. It was already past 11pm and nobody goes anywhere at that hour in this part of the country. The government needs to intervene," the community leader explained.
Widespread Examination Irregularities
Sources indicate that the problem was not isolated to Ogbadibo Local Government Area. In other parts of Benue State, some schools reportedly did not administer the objective section at all on Wednesday and were expected to do so the following morning.
A teacher from one of the affected schools expressed concern about the integrity of the examination process: "This kind of irregularity puts the integrity of the examination at risk. We expect WAEC to speak on this and take urgent corrective measures."
As of the time of this report, the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) has not issued an official statement regarding the incident or outlined any remedial actions to address the situation.
Education stakeholders are calling for an investigation into the circumstances that led to the examination delays and the subsequent improvised arrangements that forced students to write a critical national examination under such challenging conditions.
