The Joint Admission Matriculation Board (JAMB) has issued a stern warning to parents against enrolling minors for the unified tertiary examination, following a recent incident involving inappropriate text messages sent to a 15-year-old during her registration.
In a statement released by the Board’s spokesperson, Fabian Benjamin, on Wednesday in Abuja, JAMB emphasized the importance of adhering to age requirements for examination registration.
This cautionary statement came in response to a lawsuit filed by Mrs. Ifeanyi Eke against JAMB over unsolicited messages sent to her underage daughter during the registration process.
According to Prof Ishaq Oloyede, the Registrar of JAMB, the Board promptly reported the incident to security agencies for appropriate action. However, Mrs. Eke proceeded to sue for N100 million in damages, despite assurances that the matter was being addressed.
Addressing the issue, Oloyede emphasized that the sender of the messages was not affiliated with JAMB. He clarified, “The person is not our staff, he is not even a staff of the centre, he is a co-student. He is just like a candidate, an undergraduate in one of the universities.”
Regarding the allegations of unauthorized access to data, Oloyede reiterated that JAMB maintains strict confidentiality protocols and that the information was likely obtained from the underage girl’s phone.
Furthermore, Oloyede questioned the legality of enrolling a 15-year-old for university admission, stating, “How did your girl of 15 years get ready for university now? If she is law-abiding as she claimed. The law today is that you must spend six years before primary school, six years in primary school and six years in secondary school. By that time, you are 18.”
The lawsuit filed by Mrs. Eke against JAMB and three others alleges unsolicited and inappropriate messages sent to her daughter. The case is currently before the Federal High Court in Lagos.
