A Nigerian schoolgirl, Lawal Hameedat Adenike, has filed a lawsuit against the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) and the PEFTI CBT Center, accusing them of violating her constitutional rights after she was allegedly forced to remove her hijab to sit for the 2025 university entrance exam.

The incident occurred on April 25 at the PEFTI CBT Center in Ibadan, Oyo State. According to local media reports, the minor was ordered by exam officials to remove her full hijab as a condition for taking the test—an act she and her legal team have described as discriminatory and unconstitutional.

Appearing in court with her mother, Lawal’s lawyer filed a motion accusing JAMB and the test center of infringing upon her rights to freedom of thought, conscience, and religion, as enshrined in Article 38 of Nigeria’s 1999 Constitution.

The lawsuit argues that any policy requiring Muslim girls to remove the hijab during examinations is unlawful under both Nigerian and Islamic law. It seeks a court order compelling the institutions to issue public apologies in two national newspapers, along with financial compensation for the psychological and emotional distress caused by what is described as an act of religious discrimination.

The case has triggered widespread public debate, drawing strong reactions from religious rights groups, education advocates, and legal experts. Many warn that failure to address such incidents could set a dangerous precedent for religious freedom in Nigeria. Legal analysts suggest that the court’s eventual ruling may have far-reaching implications for the balance between constitutional rights and institutional policies in the country’s educational system.