Outrage has trailed the conduct of the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) in parts of Benue State, where students were reportedly made to write their English Language objective paper under torchlight late into the night.
In several centres across Ogbadibo Local Government Area and nearby communities, candidates completed the essay section earlier in the day but were left waiting for several hours before the objective papers arrived.
The delay extended into the night, with exams reportedly concluding as late as 11:00 p.m. in some locations.
Due to the lack of electricity in most of the affected schools, students were forced to rely on mobile phone flashlights and lanterns to sit for the exam. Many experienced severe fatigue and stress due to the prolonged waiting period and poor lighting conditions.
The delayed examination triggered panic among parents, many of whom stormed the schools upon learning that their children were still writing exams late at night.
In Owukpa, the incident drew widespread condemnation from parents and community members, who described the situation as unsafe and unacceptable for students.
READ ALSO:Â Malpractice: FG Orders JAMB, WAEC NECO to Blacklist CBT Centers, Students
In one affected community, a local leader reportedly arranged for the exam officer to be accommodated overnight, as security concerns made travel unsafe at that hour.
The worsening insecurity in the area has made movement after dark increasingly dangerous, forcing communities to take protective measures for visitors.
Similar challenges were reported in other parts of the state. In some schools, the objective paper was not written at all and had to be rescheduled for the following morning, raising concerns over the coordination and integrity of the exam process.
Teachers and education stakeholders in the state expressed concern that such irregularities could undermine the credibility of WASSCE and called for urgent intervention from the West African Examinations Council (WAEC).
As of the time of this report, WAEC has not issued an official response to the incident.