News

15-yr-old Student Sues Education Ministry, JAMB, NUC Over New Admission Policy

Published

12 months ago

October 14, 2024

Master Chinaemere Opara, has sued the Federal Ministry of Education, the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) and the National Universities Commission (NUC) over the introduction of the new admission policy.

Opara, a 15-year-old Senior Secondary School (SSS) Student, filed the suit through his guardian, Mr Maxwell Opara, his father and a lawyer, at the Federal High Court in Abuja on Monday.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that in the originating motion marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/1512/2024 dated Sept. 30 and filed Oct. 14 by Wayne Elijah, the SS 2 student listed the ministry, JAMB and NUC as 1st to 3rd respondents respectively.

In his six reliefs, the applicant sought a declaration that the respondents’ minimum age for admission policy to restrict the age of Nigerian citizens for admission into universities in the country is discriminatory and unconstitutional.

He said it amounted to a gross violation of his right to freedom of expression as guaranteed under Sections 42 of the 1999 Constitution, 2011 (as amended) and Article 2, 3, 4, 5, 10, 13(2), 17 and 28 of the African Charter on Human and People Rights (Ratification and Enforcement) Act Cap A9 Vol. 1 LFN.

He urged the court to declare that his right to peaceful assembly and association cannot be limited by the respondents’ admission policy.

He also sought a declaration that the policy which restricts his age before exercising his right of association and self-determination as to when to enrol to write the West Africa Examination Council (WAEC) and/or JAMB exams infringed on his right of equal access to public service.

This, he said, is guaranteed under Article 13(2) and (3) of the African Charter on Human and People Rights (Ratification and Enforcement) Act Cap A9 Vol. 1 LFN.

Opara, therefore, sought an order of perpetual Injunction restraining the respondents, from attempting to disturb, breach or interfere with his rights.

He equally sought an order setting aside the policy.

In the affidavit deposed to by Maxwell, he said he is the biological father of Chinaemere.

He said Chinaemere is an SS2 student of Sure Start Secondary School who is directly affected by the respondents’ minimum age for admission policy.

He said the policy had impeded Chinaemere’s right to freedom from age discrimination and education as enshrined in the law.

He said his son “read from the online newspaper that the 1s respondent stated that there’s no going back on the implementation of his policy which stated that any person below 16 years would not be qualified to get admission in the university no matter how brilliant the person is.

“That since then the applicant believes that his right to education has been or is likely to be violated.

“That the applicant would enter SS 3 in this 2024/2025 academic session with his plan/arrangements of writing his WAEC, NECO AND JAMB in 2025 with his expectations of gaining admission in 2025/2026 university academic sessions.

“I know facts that in Nigeria, there is no specific age limit for gaining admission into universities.

“However, candidates typically must have completed their secondary education and sit for WASSCE or its equivalent.

“I know as of facts that in Nigeria most universities in Nigeria require candidates to meet certain academic qualifications, such as having a minimum number of credits in relevant subjects and passing the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME).

“I know as of facts that in Nigeria there is no federal or state law making age a barrier for the applicant to gain admission.

“That the applicant strongly believes that he will perform excellently and make good grades in all the subjects that will be required for him to gain admission.

“The applicant wants to study Medicine & Surgery whose duration is 6 years along with a mandatory 1-year youths service and 1-year compulsory Medical Externship totalling all 8 years,” Mr Maxwell said.
The suit is yet to be assigned to a judge at the time of filing the report.

NAN reports that the Minister of Education, Prof. Tahir Mamman, had in July stated that beginning from 2025, candidates under 18 years old would not be allowed to sit for the Senior Secondary Certificate Examination, a prerequisite for admission to higher institutions.

The announcement, however, sparked intense debate among education stakeholders and parents, forcing Mamman to accept 16 years as the admission age into tertiary institutions

News

JUST IN: Court Orders IGP To Arrest Mahmood Yakubu, Ex-INEC Chairman

Published

1 hour ago

October 8, 2025

Editor

Despite his exit as the chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, the Federal High Court sitting in Osogbo, the Osun State capital, has again ordered the Inspector General of Police, Mr Kayode Egbetokun, to arrest the former INEC chairman, Prof Mahmoud Yakubu, for an offence relating to contempt of court.

The Court order came a few hours after Yakubu left office as the INEC chairman.

The Action Alliance, AA, had instituted a case before the court challenging INEC and its former chairman, Prof Yakubu, over their non-compliance with the judgment of the Court delivered by Justice Funmilola Demi-Ajayi in suit number FHC/OS/CS/194/2024.

In the said judgment, the court ordered INEC to put the names of the National Chairman of the Action Alliance, Adekunle Rufai Omoaje, and other members of the party’s National Executive Committee, NEC, on the INEC portal.

The Court also held that the names of all the state chairmen of the party be uploaded on the INEC portal.

The court held that the elective convention of the party held on the 7th of October, 2023 which produced Omoaje as the national chairman of the party and other NEC members of the party was authentic as it was properly monitored and supervised by officials of INEC in accordance with the party’s constitution and the electoral acts.

However, INEC claimed to have complied with the court judgment, but the party disagreed with the commission, as the name of Omoaje was yet to be uploaded on the commission’s website despite the orders of the Court.

Although the names of the state chairmen of the party under the leadership of Omoaje and those of the NEC members are already on the INEC portal, Omoaje’s name is yet to be uploaded as of press time, a development that the court frowned at.

The court order obtained by our correspondent dated 7th October, 2025, and signed by Mr O.M. Kilani on behalf of the Court Registrar reads in part, “it is hereby ordered that the Inspector General of Police shall cause the arrest and shall charge the defendant/judgment debtors for contempt and committal proceedings within seven days of this ruling.”

The court also awarded a cost of #100,000 against the judgment creditors.

News

Lagos Closes Adeniji Adele–CMS Lane For Six Weeks Of Repairs

Published

2 hours ago

October 8, 2025

Editor

The Lagos State Government has announced a partial closure of the Adeniji Adele Interchange Junction to CMS for six weeks to allow for rehabilitation works by the Federal Government.

According to a statement issued on Wednesday by the Commissioner for Transportation, Oluwaseun Osiyemi, the repair works will run daily between 11:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m., starting Sunday, October 12, and ending Sunday, November 23, 2025.

Osiyemi explained that only one lane of the road will be closed during the period, while the remaining lanes will remain open to traffic to minimize disruptions.

He assured motorists that traffic management officers will be stationed along the corridor to ensure smooth vehicular movement and reduce inconvenience during the rehabilitation.

“Motorists are implored to be patient, as the lane diversion is part of the traffic management plan for the rehabilitation of the road by the Federal Ministry of Works,” the commissioner said.

He also urged drivers to comply with the directives of traffic officials on duty to ensure safety and efficient traffic flow throughout the repair period.

News

JUST IN: Tinted Permit Enforcement Placed On Hold Due To Court Order – Police

Published

3 hours ago

October 8, 2025

Editor

The Nigeria Police Force said on Wednesday that the enforcement of the vehicle tinted glass permit has been suspended following a court order halting the exercise.

Spokesperson for the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Police Command, SP Josephine Adeh, disclosed this during an interview on Africa Independent Television, AIT.

She said the decision to halt the enforcement came after the police officially received the court order.

Adeh said, “Information reaching me from the office of the PRO is that the order has been received and the enforcement of the tinted permit is now on hold pending the court’s verdict”.

Disclosing that the directive to suspend enforcement would remain in place pending the outcome of the ongoing legal process, Adeh said, “We are waiting for the verdict. We are not against the courts, and we will continue to wait until we get a verdict”.

Speaking on public concerns about the purpose of the tinted glass regulation, Adeh explained that it was introduced for security reasons, noting that some criminal activities had been carried out using vehicles with darkened windows.

“The law was not made by us. We are enforcers. The policy was purely security-driven. Some criminals were using tinted vehicles to commit offences, making it difficult for law enforcement to identify suspects,” she said.

She dismissed claims that the policy was designed for financial gain, noting that all payments related to tinted permits are made directly into the Federal Government’s Treasury Single Account (TSA), not to the police.