The Association of Nigerian Imams has expressed its deep concern and condemnation the reports of hijab-wearing students being harassed, denied access, as well as forced to remove their religious attire at Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) examination centers at the recent 2026 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME).
The Association’s National Secretary,
Imam (Dr.) Umar Farooq Abdullahi, in a statement condemned the act
of an incident at Esther Oshikoya CBT Centre, Ibadan on Thursday, April 16, 2026, where candidate Fatimah Salaudeen and other female students were reportedly compelled to remove their hijab before accreditation.
Imam Umar, while demanding for prosecution and protection of religious freedom had described it as a direct violation of their dignity,their person hood, and their constitutional rights, stressing that similar reports from Peter Harvard Schools in Abuja confirm this is not isolated.
The statement noted". We echo the piercing question of the JAMB Registrar, Professor Ishaq Oloyede: “How would you ask another man’s wife to remove her hijab?”.This act is not mere “overzealousness.”
It's insisted that it is religious harassment, public humiliation, and an abuse of delegated authority.
“Citing sanctions in 2024 at Bafuto Institute, Lagos, and denials at
Covenant University and Mountain Top University during the 2023 Mock UTME,
shows a pattern of impunity that must end in no future distance.
It however maintained".JAMB’s swift intervention in Ibadan is commendable, and we note that the
restriction was lifted.Saying apologies after violation cannot replace
accountability before violation.
The Association of Nigerian Imams seek for Immediate delisting of Esther Oshikoya CBT Centre and any other center, including Peter Harvard Schools Abuja, found to have enforced this illegal policy. Criminal investigation and prosecution of all adhoc staff, supervisors, and security personnel involved, under Section 10 and Section 38 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and relevant anti-discrimination
statutes.
According to the statement".Other demands were Public disclosure by JAMB of disciplinary actions taken, to deter future violations, Mandatory retraining of all CBT center operators and security staff on JAMB’s guidelines on religious attire, with signed compliance before accreditation.
However, the law must have teeth, saying that without sanctions, we license the next violation.
The National Secretary had reminded Nigeria that freedom of religion is non-negotiable as stipulated.Section 38(1) of the 1999 Constitution guarantees every person the right to freedom of thought, conscience, and religion, including the right to manifest and propagate religion in worship, teaching, practice and observance.
The statement reiterated that the hijab is not a fashion statement.It is an act of worship and obedience for the Muslim woman.
JAMB’s own guidelines permit it, requiring only respectful, private
screening by female officers where necessary. No official, no security guard, no center owner has authority above the Constitution or above JAMB’s regulations.
Imam Farooq explained that to deny a girl her exam for wearing her hijab is to deny her education, her future,
and her citizenship. It is to tell half of this nation that their faith makes them
strangers in their own country. “We reject that”.
He stated that their message to all stakeholders was very clear which includes: “To CBT Centers: Your license to test is not a license to humiliate.
Respect the faith of candidates or forfeit the right to host them.To Parents and Students: Know your rights. Report every violation immediately with evidence. Silence feeds oppression.
Also: “To Government and JAMB: Enforce your policies. Publish a blacklist of violating centers. Freedom of religion cannot depend on the mood of an invigilator.
While, “To All Nigerians: Today it is the hijab. An attack on one faith is a threat to all faiths.The Association of Nigerian Imams stands with every Fatimah Salaudeen in this country. We stand for a Nigeria where merit, not modesty, determines access to education.
".We await JAMB’s action beyond statements.The nation awaits justice.It noted.
