Benue WASSCE candidates write exams under torchlight till 11PM

There was widespread outrage in parts of of Benue State on Wednesday night as candidates sitting for the ongoing West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) were forced to write their English Language exam under torchlight—hours after sunset.

It was gathered that while candidates had completed the essay component earlier in the day, they were kept waiting for the objective section, which did not arrive until between 8:00 pm and 9:00 pm. In some centres, the exam reportedly ended around 11:00 pm.

A student from a government-owned school in Apa, who asked not to be named, described the experience as “stressful and frightening.”

“After we finished the essay, we waited for hours without any update. When the exam officer eventually showed up, we had to use our phone flashlights and local lanterns to write. It was scary and uncomfortable,” the student said.

Another candidate said the supervisor gave no explanation for the delay, only distributing the papers and walking away.

The situation caused panic among parents, many of whom rushed to the exam centres late at night after hearing that their children were still in school.

“This is unacceptable. What kind of system makes children sit for national exams in darkness at such odd hours? This is a complete failure of planning and security,” said a visibly angry parent in Ugbokpo, the Apa LGA headquarters.

A local youth leader also confirmed to our reporter hat the community had to provide shelter for the stranded exam official, who was unable to return home due to insecurity in the area.

“Nobody moves around after 9:00 pm here. We had to host the officer till morning. The situation is embarrassing and dangerous,” he said.

Sources say the ordeal wasn’t isolated to Apa alone. Similar incidents were reported in Agatu and parts of Obi LGAs, with some schools reportedly missing the objective paper entirely and being told to write it the next morning.

Education stakeholders and civil society groups have since called on WAEC to investigate the situation and ensure accountability.

“Such irregularities compromise the integrity of the entire examination process. WAEC must explain what went wrong and take steps to ensure this never happens again,” a teacher in Otukpo told IDOMA VOICE.

As of the time of filing this report, the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) is yet to issue any official statement.