6:30 am Exam: JAMB replies Peter Obi

The Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has responded to a claim made by Peter Obi, alleging that the examination body compelled admission-seeking teenagers to travel in the dark to write exams.

In a post shared on his verified X handle on Sunday, Obi criticised JAMB for allegedly making students arrive at exam centres by 6:30 am, describing the decision as careless, especially given the insecurity in different parts of the country.

The former Anambra State Governor claimed that some of the teenagers, mostly between 15 and 17 years old, had been reported missing, involved in accidents, or exposed to unnecessary stress and trauma.

“I came across multiple reports of students being asked to attend a public examination by 6:30 am.”

“Teenagers, mostly around 15–17 years old, were forced to travel in the dark, even in the face of insecurity, across dangerous and unfamiliar locations because they wanted to get the basic right of education and sit for JAMB examinations,” Obi said.

He further criticised both the exam body and the government for the situation, warning that it revealed a deeper failure within the system.

Obi added, “Setting exams for vulnerable teenagers as early as 6:00 am while transporting them across far-flung locations is reckless. ”

“Already, reports are emerging of students getting into accidents and losing their young lives, some going missing, and many more being subjected to unnecessary trauma.”

“Who takes responsibility when a 15- or 16-year-old child disappears or is harmed while trying to access their right to education?”

In response, JAMB issued a brief statement denying Obi’s allegations.

The exam body clarified that no exam was scheduled to start at 6 am, insisting that the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) was set to begin at 8 am. It explained that candidates were expected to arrive earlier for verification and clearance, which begins at 6:30 am.

“I must assert that our examination is scheduled to commence at 8:00 am, not 6:00 am. While verification and other clearance processes begin at 6:30 am, it is imperative that candidates are afforded adequate time to settle in before the exam begins,” JAMB stated.

The exam body argued that starting verification processes early was necessary to avoid delays, as many Nigerians tend to arrive late for scheduled activities.

It noted that this arrangement was designed to give candidates enough time to prepare and remain calm before the examination starts.

However, JAMB’s response drew criticism from several Nigerians, with many questioning the wisdom in requiring teenagers to be at exam centres as early as 6 am, considering the country’s security situation.