WAEC, Education Minister Sued for N100bn Over Alleged Human Rights Violations in Midnight Exams

A Lagos-based lawyer and human rights advocate, Evans Ufeli, has filed a N100 billion lawsuit against the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) and the Minister of Education, accusing them of grossly violating students’ fundamental rights during the May 2025 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE). 

The suit, filed on behalf of affected students, seeks judicial redress for what Ufeli described as inhumane conditions under which students were compelled to write exams—some as late as 8:00 p.m.—in dimly lit, insecure environments. 

He is demanding a court declaration that the conduct of the English Language exam was unlawful, degrading, and constitutionally flawed. 

Filed under Sections 33, 34, 35, 36, and 46 of Nigeria’s 1999 Constitution (as amended), the Child Rights Act, and the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights, the case seeks six major reliefs. 

These include a mandatory re-sit of the affected exams under humane conditions, a public apology, a comprehensive logistics overhaul, and N100 billion in general and exemplary damages for the emotional and physical toll on students. 

“The respondents failed in their statutory duty to ensure a safe, dignified, and fair examination process, exposing thousands of minors to psychological trauma and physical risks,” Ufeli said. 

He criticized WAEC’s justification of late-night exams due to security and malpractice concerns, calling it “a monumental failure of foresight and planning,” and insisted that government agencies must not sacrifice student welfare on the altar of bureaucratic inefficiency. 

The lawsuit is also supported by findings from the National Assembly, media investigations, and civil society reports, which documented widespread irregularities and poor logistics during the 2025 WASSCE. 

No hearing date has been announced.