Oloyede needs to cry some more—for Mmesoma, by Innocent Raphael

By all means, let JAMB Registrar Prof. Ishaq Oloyede weep. Let his tears pour like the heartbreak his board has caused tens of thousands of Nigerian students over the years. But if Oloyede’s recent emotional press conference over the 2025 UTME glitch was meant to close a chapter, he needs to know it barely opens one.

His tears, though slightly commendable, are not enough. Not while Mmesoma Ejikeme’s name still lingers in the national conscience as a symbol of institutional failure, scapegoating, and unresolved injustice.

We remember Mmesoma. How could we forget?

In 2023, she was a 19-year-old student from Anglican Girls Secondary School in Nnewi, Anambra State. She was declared a shining star when she posted a UTME score of 362. Celebrations erupted. Innoson Motors gave her a ₦3 million scholarship after verifying her result from the JAMB website. The result was there—clear as day. SMS confirmation matched. Printed copies matched. But in a jarring turn, JAMB claimed she faked it. Not only did they deny the score, they brought in the DSS, accused her of hacking the system, and banned her for three years.

And then they publicly humiliated her.

Mmesoma cried. Her father cried. Nigerians cried too, but not Oloyede—not then.
JAMB insisted she lied. When she later appeared in a video admitting fault, it felt coerced. Her father said as much, expressing disbelief that the girl in the video was his daughter. “Someone is telling her what to say,” he said. And we believed him. After all, what teenager has the resources or technical sophistication to manipulate a supposedly airtight national database?

And Mmesoma? She’s still picking up the pieces.
Innoson Motors, who first celebrated her brilliance, didn’t wait for truth. They revoked her scholarship as quickly as they gave it. It took Gaius Chibueze, a private businessman, to say: “I see what’s happening here.” He offered to sponsor Mmesoma’s education up to her master’s degree in Canada, the UK, or the US. When the system broke her, it was a private citizen who stepped up.

So, yes—Oloyede cried. But tears alone don’t heal reputations, restore opportunities, or undo trauma. A public apology to Mmesoma Ejikeme is long overdue. An admission that maybe, just maybe, the fault wasn’t with her. Maybe she was telling the truth all along. And maybe, the system owes her—not just silence, not just forgetfulness—but dignity.

Fast forward to 2025, and the truth has begun to unravel.
This year’s UTME has been a disaster. Over 78% of candidates scored below 200. Not less than 8,000 candidates have filed official complaints. Glitches have emerged—worse still, JAMB has now confirmed that at least 380,000 candidates were affected across 157 centres. Lagos. Owerri. The entire South East. Even parts of Oyo. The same areas Mmesoma’s case drew attention to two years ago.

Let’s be honest: if what happened this year had happened in 2023, would we still believe Mmesoma lied? Or would we hold JAMB accountable for what increasingly looks like a flawed system?

The system failed her. And JAMB owes her—yes, owes—a public apology.

It is true Oloyede broke down while apologising for the trauma caused by technical errors. He admitted that the board’s service providers caused massive distortions. He looked Nigerians in the eye and said, “I hold myself personally responsible.” That’s a start. But it’s not enough.

Because as we speak, candidates are being asked to resit their exams. That’s not just a logistical issue—it’s life-altering. Education pathways are being disrupted. Futures are being questioned. Some students had to leave their homes as early as 5 a.m. to make it to test centres. One girl, in a tragic twist, was kidnapped on her way to a 6 a.m. exam. Instead of showing remorse, JAMB’s first instinct was to defend itself. I’m happy she has been found safely though. This is the weight of institutional irresponsibility.

What happened to Mmesoma was not a one-off scandal—it was a symptom of deeper rot. A rot that has now resurfaced with more force, dragging down nearly 400,000 students. And the same man who refused to admit even the possibility of system failure in 2023 is now on national television crying about “man proposes, God disposes.”

No. This is not about God. This is about accountability.

If Oloyede is serious about rebuilding JAMB’s integrity, the apology must start where the betrayal began—with Mmesoma Ejikeme. She was made to carry a burden that clearly wasn’t hers. Her name was dragged. Her confidence was broken. And despite scholarships from compassionate individuals and the state government’s attempt at psychological rehabilitation, the national stain remains.

We need more than tears. We need truth. We need justice. And we need JAMB to say it plainly:

“Mmesoma, we are sorry.”

Until then, every tear shed from JAMB’s top office rings hollow.

Innocent, a journalist, writes from Lagos