Court Halts Admissions at Two Major Federal Universities Amid Post-UTME Controversy

A recent court order has temporarily suspended all admission processes for the 2025/2026 academic session at two of Nigeria’s most prominent federal institutions: the University of Lagos (UNILAG) and Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife.

The directive, issued by a Federal High Court sitting in Enugu, orders both universities and the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) to maintain a “status quo” regarding the admission list, pending the resolution of a motion on notice.

This judicial intervention is a direct consequence of an ongoing dispute over the integrity and fairness of the Post-Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (Post-UTME) screening exercises conducted by the two institutions.

The Genesis of the Dispute: Allegations of Glitches and Malpractice

The legal challenge was initiated by a group of prospective students who participated in the recent Post-UTME screening. They filed an ex-parte motion, representing themselves and numerous other affected candidates, seeking an interim injunction. Their prayers to the court centred on restraining the universities and JAMB from releasing, approving, or finalising any admission list for the new academic session.

The root of the complaint lies in widespread allegations of technical glitches and unfair malpractice flagging during the computer-based screening. These candidates claim that systemic errors, possibly within the testing software, led to:

• Unjustifiably low scores for some high-performing candidates.
• The withholding of results for others without clear justification.
• Erroneous accusations of examination malpractice, which has effectively disqualified a number of students.

Despite the institutions’ denials with UNILAG, for instance, asserting that all flagged cases were due to “clear violations of examination rules” detected through robust monitoring, including video surveillance, the mounting volume of complaints and the threat of legal action eventually led to the current injunction.

Judicial Intervention and the Status Quo Order

In her ruling, the presiding judge acknowledged that the application raised a “veritable and triable issue” that necessitates a full hearing. Consequently, the court ordered that all parties—the universities, JAMB, and the applicants—must maintain the status quo. This legally binding directive mandates a complete freeze on the admission process as it currently stands.

This means that no admission lists can be published, approved, or uploaded, effectively grinding the final stage of the 2025/2026 intake to a halt. The legal action reflects a growing demand for transparency and accountability in the high-stakes university admission process, especially following a year that has seen similar examination-related controversies at other national examination bodies.

Impact on the Academic Calendar and Students

The court order introduces significant uncertainty into the academic calendar of both UNILAG and OAU. Both institutions had already laid out their resumption plans and academic calendars for the new session:

• UNILAG’s approved calendar had scheduled the resumption of students for the new session to commence in October 2025.
• OAU had also announced plans for the phased arrival of new students around the same period.

The forced suspension of the admission process is likely to cause delays and disruptions, potentially pushing back the commencement of lectures and the entire academic timeline. For thousands of prospective students, the injunction means an agonizing wait, with their educational future hinging on the outcome of the impending legal battle.

The universities are expected to respond formally to the court’s order and the substantive motion in the coming weeks. Until the court fully hears and determines the case, the fate of the 2025/2026 academic session admissions at these two flagship Nigerian universities remains in limbo.