UTME Tragedy: JAMB Must Take Responsibility for Timilehin’s Death — NANS Demands Justice

According to the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), Miss Timilehin Faith Opesusi killed herself after receiving low marks on the most recent Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME), and the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) should be held accountable.

The student body also demanded that Prof. Isaq Oloyede, the registrar, resign and that the examination body undergo a complete revamp.

Comr. Tenyo Dighopho, Vice President (National Affairs), NANS, stated in a statement on Thursday that JAMB needs to make amends to the girl’s family for the loss of their cherished child.

Remember how Timilehin allegedly committed herself in Lagos’ Ikorodu neighborhood on Tuesday after learning that she had received 190 out of 400 potential points on the test?

The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board’s (JAMB) shameful and unforgivable incompetence has cost the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) not only academic aspirations but also a valuable young life in Lagos State.

Even though JAMB has admitted in public that there were mistakes in the recently issued UTME results, especially in Lagos and the five Southeast states, this does not relieve it of accountability.

Instead, it validates our worst suspicions: that the board, led by Professor Ishaq Oloyede, has utterly failed in its primary duty. Instead of being a simple process, it has turned into a cause of trauma, bewilderment, and irreversible loss.

Even though Prof. Oloyede was formerly commended for bringing about systemic changes, his disastrous management of the 2025 UTME results has totally eclipsed any previous achievements. In a role where accuracy, legitimacy, and responsibility are essential, this fiasco reveals him as a failure rather than merely a leader who erred.

A single mistake that results in a student’s death is more than sufficient justification for resignation. Since he no longer has the moral or professional authority to head an organization that affects the future of millions of Nigerian kids, he ought to quit with honor.

This event is not just an administrative error; it is a national humiliation and an institutional disgrace due to the psychological suffering endured by candidates, the crushed hopes of diligent students, and the untimely death of a bright young mind.

Given the seriousness of the situation, NANS requests the following: First, Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, the JAMB Registrar, resigned immediately. No amount of achievement in the past can undo the harm he caused. A leadership that has shown a lack of concern for the lives and ambitions of Nigerian students cannot be trusted with such a vital system.

“Secondly, JAMB needs to accept full responsibility for the Lagos student’s passing and provide the bereaved family with all-encompassing support.” This covers monetary damages, legal support, and psychological aid. No family should have to bear the repercussions of JAMB’s mistakes by itself.

Third, JAMB’s framework for administering exams and processing results urgently needs to be updated.

To ensure openness, avoid manipulation, and restore public confidence, this restructure must be implemented under independent supervision.

Fourth, NANS insists that this process be carried out in full openness and equity, even if JAMB has announced a rescheduled exam for 379,997 impacted students. We won’t watch helplessly while more students are put in danger due to negligence. The rescheduling procedure must be conducted fairly and with dignity for each impacted student.

This regrettable act is a mockery of the efforts made by educators, parents, and students, and it is a slap in the face of the Nigerian educational system.

NANS is urging the federal government to step in right now, conduct a thorough investigation, and make sure that justice is done for all of the candidates whose futures have been in danger—not just the student who died.

“We are seeking change because it is necessary, not because we are feeling sentimental. Enough is enough. Nigerian students will not remain mute as organizations that are supposed to help us end up being the ones that bring us down.