Dozens of candidates in Imo State were left devastated on Friday, May 16, 2025, after missing the rescheduled Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) due to last-minute changes to their examination centres by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB).
JAMB, which had earlier given a 24-hour notice for the retake of the UTME, reportedly changed several candidates’ exam centres just hours before the test began leading to widespread confusion and missed opportunities to resit the exam.
Candidates and their parents expressed anger after JAMB reportedly changed the venues shortly before the exam was scheduled to begin, leaving many unable to locate or access the new centres in time.
One parent, Mr. Nwachukwu, narrated how his son, who had received a slip indicating the exam would hold at the Federal University of Technology Owerri (FUTO) by 6:30 AM, missed the exam after JAMB changed the venue to Alvan Ikoku University of Education at the last minute.
“We left the house at 5:00 AM in order to catch up with the exam at FUTO. The driver insisted I would pay ₦10,000 because of the takeoff time,” Mr. Nwachukwu said.
“We arrived at FUTO at 6:11 AM, dropped my son, and left. At 8:35 AM, my son called to inform me that they just realised the exam had been moved to Alvan Ikoku University of Education.
“My son and his colleagues raced to Alvan Ikoku University, only to be told the 6:00 AM exam was over.
“It was at this point they noticed JAMB had sent a message hours before the exam stating that the venue had been changed to Alvan Ikoku University.”
He added that officials at the new venue promised to escalate the issue to the board’s headquarters.
“According to my son, the coordinators promised to send a message to the board’s headquarters to notify them of the situation.
“My son returned from his school in Rivers State for this exam. I know how much I have spent; I feel like cursing those who have done this.
“Why should somebody give 24-hour notice for an exam? Why should the centre be changed within 24 hours?” the angry parent queried.
Another candidate, Chiamaka, who was also affected by the sudden change, expressed her frustration.
“I don’t know what to say. I just feel frustrated,” she said.
JAMB had ordered the resit for candidates in Lagos and the South East following discrepancies in the results released from the April UTME.
However, the poor coordination of the resit has raised concerns over the board’s handling of the process.
As of the time of reporting, JAMB had not issued any official statement addressing the complaints of affected candidates in Imo.
