News
Teenage Girl Sues JAMB After Being Forced to Remove Her Hijab Before UTME Exam
A teenage girl, Lawal Hameedat Adenike, has filed a lawsuit against the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) and the PEFTI Centre after allegedly being forced to remove her hijab before sitting for the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME).
The suit was filed by her mother and legal representative, Basirat Ojo, who spoke to journalists in Abuja about the distressing incident. Ojo explained that on April 25, 2025, at the PEFTI CBT Centre in Ibadan, Oyo State, her daughter was told she could not take the exam unless she removed her hijab, which she wears as a religious obligation. Ojo described the experience as humiliating and emotionally distressing for her daughter, adding that it was a clear violation of her rights.
The lawsuit is seeking a public apology from both JAMB and PEFTI, to be published in two national newspapers. Additionally, it calls for compensation for the rights violation and a court ruling that any policy requiring female candidates to remove their hijabs is unconstitutional.
Lawal’s lawyer, Qousim Opakunle, emphasized that the case is based on constitutional rights. He argued that the directive violated Section 38 of the Nigerian Constitution, which guarantees freedom of thought, conscience, and religion, especially for minors who are vulnerable to such injustices.
News
“You Can Still Have Subsidy Without Long Queues” — Rufai Oseni Speaks On Subsidy
TV anchor Rufai Oseni makes headlines as he speaks on fuel subsidy in Nigeria. He shared that Nigeria can have fuel subsidy without the long queues at filling stations.
“When we were still paying subsidies, there were no long queues. We were subsidising. So you can still have a subsidy regime going on, and there will be no long queues because production was close by. Dangote had it. That’s just it. That argument also falls flat.
“The biggest beneficiaries of subsidy are not Nigerians. They are crony capitalists that have big infrastructure, and they do contracts. They have been the biggest beneficiaries of the subsidy,” he said.
News
Sanwo-Olu Speaks on Lagos’ Power Challenges and the Need for Change
Lagos State Governor, Sanwo-Olu, speaks to those in the electricity sector about the usual blackouts in the state.
He speaks on ways things can change in the state and how electricity can be provided.
“We need to drop corporate egos, abandon long-standing excuses, and confront the harsh realities obstructing progress in the power sector.”
“We, state governments, used to give excuses that everything is centralised, so the Federal Government has unbundled it now. What have we done in a year and a half?” Sanwo-Olu asked.
“We take two steps forward, we go five steps backward,” he said.
News
Sanwo-Olu Declares August 20 Public Holiday in Lagos for Isese Festival
Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu has declared Thursday, August 20, a work-free day for public servants in the state to mark the Isese Festival.
Speaking on the celebration, he said “Ìṣẹ̀ṣe is not a relic. It is a living expression of our traditions and a celebration of Yoruba spirituality as an important part of Nigeria’s cultural and religious landscape,” he said.
He added “When the drums sound in Lagos on Thursday, they answer drums in Havana, in Salvador, in Port of Spain. Fifty-five million people and counting. Lagos is not observing a local holiday. Lagos is standing at the centre of a global heritage,” Aregbe said.
