A 15-year-old Senior Secondary School student, Chinaemere Opara, has filed a lawsuit against the Federal Ministry of Education, the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), and the National Universities Commission (NUC) regarding the recently introduced admission policy.
The case was initiated by Opara through his guardian and father, Mr. Maxwell Opara, who is also a lawyer, at the Federal High Court in Abuja on Monday.
In the originating motion, numbered FHC/ABJ/CS/1512/2024, dated September 30 and officially filed on October 14 by Wayne Elijah, the SS2 student named the Ministry of Education, JAMB, and NUC as the first, second, and third respondents, respectively.
Opara is seeking six key declarations, primarily arguing that the admission age restriction imposed by the respondents is unconstitutional and discriminatory.
He contended that the policy violates his right to freedom of expression as provided under Section 42 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), and also breaches multiple articles of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights.
The student urged the court to declare that his right to peaceful assembly and association should not be limited by the admission policy, which he claims infringes upon his ability to decide when to take the West Africa Examination Council (WAEC) or JAMB exams.
He argued that this restriction violates his right to equal access to public services, as enshrined in the African Charter.
Opara is also seeking a permanent injunction to prevent the Ministry, JAMB, and NUC from enforcing or interfering with his rights under the current policy.
Also, he is requesting that the court nullify the policy altogether.
