Oyo State High Court Rules Forced Hijab Removal for JAMB Exams Unconstitutional, Orders ₦10.5 Million Damages

On 20 July 2026, the Oyo State High Court in Ibadan, sitting under Justice Y. S. Adekunle, declared that requiring female candidates to remove their hijab before taking the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) violates Section 38 of Nigeria’s 1999 Constitution, which guarantees freedom of religion. The judgment was brought by minor Lawal Hameedat Adenike Olamide, who alleged that officials at the PEFTI Computer‑Based Test Centre in Bodija forced her to remove her hijab as a condition for sitting the 2025 UTME.

The court ordered the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) and PEFTI Film Institute Limited to pay the claimant ₦10 million in damages, an additional ₦500,000 to cover legal costs, and to issue separate written apologies published in two national newspapers within seven days.