A Delta State Excessive Courtroom sitting in Warri has delivered a judgment towards the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board, JAMB, declaring that the 16 years minimal admission age into universities is unconstitutional.
The courtroom presided over by Justice Anthony Akpovi handed down the judgment in Swimsuit No: W/311/FHR/2024.
The matter was between John Aikpokpo-Martins v Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) & 4 Ors.
Delivering judgment, Justice Akpovi agreed with the submissions and the case of Aikpokpo-Martins and granted his reliefs and entered judgment in his favour.
The courtroom nevertheless refused to grant his reduction for damages.
John Aikpokpo-Martins, a former chairman of the Nigerian Bar Affiliation, NBA, Warri Department, had earlier filed a public curiosity case in search of the next reliefs:
“A declaration that by advantage of the mixed impact of sections 18(1) and 42 of the structure of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, the restriction of the minimal admissible age into Nigerian universities mounted at 16 years by the first defendant and/or some other particular person or authority violates the constitutional mandate/directive for equal academic alternatives in any respect ranges for all residents as offered for below the stated part 18 (1) and the liberty from discrimination as assured by part 42 of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 and is due to this fact unconstitutional, null and void.
“A declaration that the round of the first respondent dated the sixteenth day of October, 2024 captioned “Admission of Candidates With Minimal Admissible Age Of 16 Years” signed by Mohammed A. Babaji to all Nigerian Universities together with the 2nd defendant directing them to confess solely candidates who can be 16 years previous by the thirty first day of August 2025 violently violates the basic proper to freedom from discrimination of the candidates who can be 16 years from the first of September, 2025 to the thirty first of December, 2025 assured by part 42 of the Structure of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 and is due to this fact unconstitutional, null and void and of no impact.
“An order setting apart the round of the first respondent dated the sixteenth day of October, 2024 captioned “Admission of Candidates With Minimal Admissible Age Of 16 Years” signed by Mohammed A. Babaji to all Nigerian Universities for being unconstitutional, null and void and of no impact.
“An order directing the respondents to confess and/or difficulty letters of admission to all these candidates who’re attributable to be 16 years from the first of January, 2025 to the thirty first of December, 2025 and who met all different admission standards.
“An order restraining the 2nd respondent from withdrawing the admission already granted to candidates who will 16 years from 1st of September, 2025 to December 2025 on the premise of the first respondent’s directive dated the sixteenth of October, 2024.
“An order of perpetual injunction restraining the Respondents whether or not by themselves, their brokers, servants, privies and officers from denying candidates admission into Nigerian Universities solely on the bottom of not haven attained 16 years of age.”
