The Delta State High Court in Warri has issued a significant ruling that temporarily restrains the Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB) from enforcing its recent policy requiring candidates to be at least 16 years old for university admissions. This decision comes in response to concerns raised about the policy’s implications for students, particularly those who are just shy of the age threshold.
On October 16, JAMB announced that only candidates who turn 16 by August 2025 would be eligible for admission into tertiary institutions. This policy was introduced following a directive from the Ministry of Education, which has established 18 years as the minimum age for university admission. However, JAMB made a specific exception for students applying for the 2024/2025 academic session.
John Aikpokpo-Martins, a former chairman of the Nigerian Bar Association in Warri, challenged JAMB’s policy in court. Aikpokpo-Martins filed a suit on behalf of all candidates born between September 1, 2009, and December 31, 2009, who passed their JAMB examinations in 2024. The case, marked W/311/FHR/2021, names JAMB and Edwin Clark University as the respondents.
In a ruling delivered by Justice Anthony Akpovi on Thursday, the court granted the applicant all the reliefs sought, as confirmed by a Certified True Copy (CTC) obtained by Sunday PUNCH. Aikpokpo-Martins had requested that the court prohibit JAMB from acting on the directives issued in the October 16 circular, which aimed to enforce the new age requirement for admission.
Justice Akpovi emphasized the importance of preserving the rights of students affected by this policy. “Reliefs 1 and 2 are hereby granted to preserve and protect the respondents, which is the right of every Nigerian child born on the 1st of September 2009 to the 31st of December 2009, who wrote and passed JAMB exams in 2024,” he stated during the ruling.
The court also ordered that the circular issued to university administrators regarding the age requirement be suspended. “The effect is that the 1st respondent’s circular… is put in abeyance and on hold,” the judge explained. This decision ensures that the admissions process for the affected students remains unchanged until the court hears the full motion.
Additionally, the applicant sought an interim injunction to protect the admission status of Angel Aikpokpo Martins, who is among those directly affected by the new policy. The court granted this request, allowing her and similar students to retain their rights and privileges as admitted students.
Furthermore, Justice Akpovi granted relief for substituted service and an accelerated hearing of the case, indicating the court’s intention to address the matter swiftly given its importance to the affected students’ futures.
