The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has spoken on the alleged barring of Muslim students wearing hijab from writing the mock Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) at Covenant University, Ogun State.
In a 1:14-minute video seen by TheGuardian on Monday, some female JAMB candidates were reportedly barred from entering the venue of their mock exams for allegedly wearing hijabs.
According to Olayode Akeem, a parent of one of the applicants who went to the centre with his child said the university security guards prevented candidates wearing hijabs from entering Canaanland because they were following orders from above.
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However, JAMB said in a statement that Covenant University claimed that no such instruction was given and offered apologies to the concerned candidates.
Jamb noted that after the university learned of the incident, the university, along with its CBT Centre officials, rushed to the gate to rescue the situation and ensure that the candidates took their examination.
“The attention of the university was promptly drawn to this development, and a vehement denial of authorising its security personnel to prevent any genuine candidates from entering the institution was issued,” JAMB said.
“According to the university, no such authority was given to that effect, and it decried the attendant embarrassment the incident had caused to the institution.”
JAMB assured the affected candidates that they would have the opportunity to sit for the rescheduled exam and noted that it would never condone any form of discrimination against any entity or person.
The examination body also assured the general public that the board would put the necessary machinery in motion to ensure that such an incident does not reoccur in the future.
