The West African Examinations Council (WAEC) and the Federal Ministry of Education are facing a N100 billion lawsuit filed at the Federal High Court in Lagos over the alleged mistreatment of Nigerian students during the 2025 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE).
The suit was brought by Lagos-based lawyer and human rights activist, Evans Ufeli, on behalf of students who took part in the May 2025 exams. The legal action focuses on the conduct of the English Language paper, which was reportedly written under disturbing conditions in various centres across the country.
Ufeli is asking the court to declare the conduct of the examination as unlawful, inhumane, and a gross violation of the constitutional rights of the affected students. He said that in many centres, students wrote their papers in darkness, without adequate lighting or security, sometimes as late as 8pm.
He cited Sections 33, 34, 35, 36, and 46 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), the Child Rights Act, and the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights to support his case, describing the examination scenario as degrading and traumatic.
“The Respondents failed in their constitutional and statutory duties to protect the rights of students during a high-stakes national examination,” Ufeli stated in the suit. “The result is widespread psychological trauma, disruption of academic performance, and exposure to physical harm.”
He accused both WAEC and the Ministry of Education of negligence and poor planning, arguing that their failure to provide safe and proper conditions for students amounted to gross indifference.
Among the six reliefs sought in the suit are:
-A declaration that the 2025 WASSCE English Language exam, held in unsafe and poorly lit conditions, violated the students’ rights.
– A court order compelling WAEC and the Ministry to organise a re-sit of the exam at no cost to the students.
– A public apology and a complete review of WAEC’s logistics and emergency procedures.
– A demand for N100 billion in compensation for the mental distress, trauma, and rights violations suffered by the students.
Ufeli described WAEC’s justification that security threats and malpractice concerns led to delays as unacceptable, insisting that students should not be made to suffer for administrative shortcomings.
“This case is not just about one paper,” Ufeli said in a statement. “It is about protecting the future of our children. No government agency has the right to treat minors in such an inhumane way.”
He added that several reports from civil society organisations, media houses, and findings by the National Assembly confirm widespread irregularities and mismanagement in the conduct of the 2025 WASSCE.
No date has been fixed yet for the hearing of the suit, but public attention is now focused on how the court will respond to what many are calling a landmark case in defence of students’ rights in Nigeria.
