A Lagos-based lawyer and human rights activist, Evans Ufeli, has taken legal action against the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) and the Federal Ministry of Education, accusing them of grossly violating the rights of Nigerian students during the 2025 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE).
In a lawsuit filed at the Federal High Court in Lagos, Ufeli described the conduct of the May 2025 English Language paper as unlawful, inhumane, and constitutionally defective.
He claimed that thousands of students were forced to sit for their exams in hazardous, dimly lit environments, some as late as 8pm, without adequate lighting, security, or basic facilities.
He argued that these conditions violated the students’ rights to dignity, life, and fair hearing as enshrined in Nigeria’s Constitution and international treaties, including the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights.
According to Ufeli, the psychological trauma and disruption caused by the chaotic examination process had serious implications for the well-being and academic future of the affected students.
The suit seeks a court declaration that WAEC and the Ministry of Education failed in their constitutional duty to protect minors during a national exam and demands that a re-sit of the affected papers be organized under proper conditions. Ufeli is also calling for ₦100 billion in compensation for the trauma suffered, a public apology, and an overhaul of WAEC’s examination logistics.
He criticized what he described as a “monumental failure of planning and foresight” by the examination body and dismissed WAEC’s defense that late exam hours were necessary due to security concerns and malpractice risks. According to Ufeli, such reasoning does not justify subjecting students to what he termed “inhumane treatment.”
The case, which has yet to be scheduled for hearing, is gaining attention amid growing national concern over the administration of high-stakes public examinations in Nigeria.