NEWS

Court Stops JAMB From Restricting Underage Students

The Delta State High Court in Warri has issued an order temporarily restraining the Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB) from enforcing its recent policy mandating a minimum admission age of 16 for university applicants, pending a court decision on the case filed against the board.

On October 16, JAMB announced that only candidates who will be 16 by August 2025 will be eligible for admission into tertiary institutions. This announcement followed the Ministry of Education’s new policy setting the minimum age for tertiary admissions at 18.

However, JAMB made an exception for candidates applying for the 2024/2025 session.

Unhappy with JAMB’s directive, former Nigerian Bar Association chairman, Warri branch, John Aikpokpo-Martins, took the board to court. Representing all candidates born between September 1, 2009, and December 31, 2009, who passed JAMB exams in 2024, Aikpokpo-Martins filed suit W/311/FHR/2021 against JAMB and Edwin Clark University as the 1st and 2nd respondents. On Thursday, Justice Anthony Akpovi granted all the reliefs sought by Aikpokpo-Martins, as confirmed by a Certified True Copy (CTC) obtained by Waffi TV.

The applicant had sought an order of the court restraining the respondents from taking further action on and/or giving effect to the directives contained in the circular of the 1st respondent dated the 16th October, 2024 and captioned “Admission of candidates with minimum Admissible age of 16 years” as signed by Mohammed A. Babaji to all Nigerian Universities pending the hearing and determination of the originating motion.

The applicant also prayed the court to issue “An order of interim injunction restraining the respondents from withdrawing the admission given to Angel Aikpokpo Martins and/or restricting her rights and privileges and/or preventing her access to school and all educational facilities of the 2nd respondent institution as a student pending the hearing and determination of the originating motion.”

In his ruling, Justice Olotu said, “Reliefs 1 and 2 are hereby granted to preserve and protect the respondents, which is the right of every Nigerian child born on the 1st of September 2009 to the 31st of December, 2009, who wrote and passed JAMB exams in 2024 to remain duly admitted by 1st respondent as it applies to all Nigerian Universities including 2nd respondent and the effect is that the 1st respondent’s circular to Vice Chancellors, Provost, Rectors dated 16/10/24 Ref: JAMB/ADMS/139/V.

“111 is put in abeyance and on hold and the status quo to be maintained is the admission list prior to this circular pending the hearing of the originating motion dated and filed 24/10/24. Reliefs 3(a) and (b) are hereby granted for substituted service by courier service as prayed. Relief 4 for accelerated hearing is also granted.”

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