JAMB must be held accountable for student’s death, says NANS

The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) has strongly condemned the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), holding the examination body responsible for the tragic suicide of Timilehin Faith Opesusi, a young student who reportedly took her own life after receiving a score of 190 in the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME).

In a statement issued Thursday by Comr. Tenyo Dighopho, Vice President (National Affairs) of NANS, the student body expressed outrage over what it described as “disgraceful and unforgivable negligence” by JAMB, adding that the Opesusi family must be fully compensated for their loss.

“The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) is deeply outraged by the disgraceful and unforgivable negligence exhibited by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), an act that has now cost not just academic dreams but also a precious young life in Lagos State,” the statement read.

Timilehin, a resident of Ikorodu, Lagos, reportedly ended her life on Tuesday after discovering her UTME result. Her death has sparked national debate, particularly in light of JAMB’s recent admission that over 379,000 candidates across 65 centres in Lagos and 92 centres in the South-East were affected by technical errors during the 2025 UTME.

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“While JAMB has publicly acknowledged errors in the recently released UTME results particularly in Lagos and across five South East states, this admission does not absolve it of responsibility. On the contrary, it confirms our worst fears: that the board, under the leadership of Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, has failed woefully in its core responsibility,” NANS stated.

The student union accused JAMB of turning what should be a routine examination process into a source of widespread “trauma, confusion, and irreparable loss.”

“Though Prof. Oloyede may have once been praised for introducing reforms in the system, this catastrophic mishandling of the 2025 UTME results has completely overshadowed any prior accomplishments. In a position where precision, credibility, and accountability are non-negotiable, this debacle exposes him not just as a leader who made a mistake but as a failure,” Dighopho said.

“A single error that leads to the death of a student is more than enough reason to step down. He should honorably resign, as he no longer holds the moral or professional authority to lead an institution that determines the future of millions of Nigerian students.”

Describing the incident as a “national embarrassment” and “institutional disgrace,” NANS outlined a set of urgent demands, including:

1. The immediate resignation of JAMB Registrar Prof. Ishaq Oloyede.
2. Full responsibility and compensation by JAMB to the grieving family, including financial support, legal aid, and psychological assistance.
3. A comprehensive overhaul of JAMB’s examination and result-processing systems, with independent oversight to ensure transparency and accountability.
4. Assurance that the rescheduled exams for the affected 379,997 students will be conducted fairly and with dignity.

“This unfortunate incident is a slap in the face of the Nigerian education system and a mockery of the sacrifices made by students, parents, and educators,” the statement continued.

“We are not calling for change out of emotion, we are demanding it out of necessity. Enough is enough. Nigerian students refuse to be silent while institutions meant to serve us become the very agents of our undoing.”

NANS has also called on the Federal Government to launch a full investigation into the matter, vowing that it will continue to demand justice not only for Timilehin but for all students whose futures have been put at risk.

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