JAMB Officials Walk Out of House Committee Hearing

A heated confrontation erupted at the National Assembly on Wednesday when officials of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) abruptly left a hearing convened by the House Committee on Basic Education and Examination Bodies. The session had been called to review the agency’s 2023–2024 budget performance and its remittances to the Consolidated Revenue Fund.

Despite three separate invitations, JAMB Registrar Prof. Ishaq Oloyede did not attend in person, delegating Director Mufutau Bello instead. Tensions rose when Bello asked journalists to exit the meeting, citing the sensitivity of financial documents. Lawmakers refused, insisting that the session was public. The exchange escalated until Bello and his team walked out, leaving the committee stunned.

Committee Chair, Oboku Oforji, called the action “unacceptable” and issued a final summons for Oloyede to appear on November 4 with all relevant documents. Lawmakers warned that further defiance could trigger enforcement measures under constitutional provisions on legislative oversight.