By Chidinma Nwaoji
FUTA Graduate Reinstated After JAMB Controversy
After a prolonged ordeal that nearly derailed his academic journey, Jamiu Basola, a Civil Engineering graduate of the Federal University of Technology, Akure (FUTA), has finally been vindicated by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), which has now restored his admission status and unlocked his academic portal.
Jamiu Basola’s academic dreams nearly collapsed after he was flagged for possessing what JAMB termed a “fake admission”—a claim that shocked many, given he had completed a five-year course with a Cumulative Grade Point Average of 4.41.
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Having sat for the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) in 2017 and gaining admission into FUTA in 2018, Basola was preparing for NYSC mobilisation when he was informed by the university’s Student Affairs Division that his name was missing from the JAMB matriculation list—a requirement for NYSC clearance.
“I was devastated. I had spent years studying, only to be told I wasn’t officially admitted,” he recounted. “I couldn’t even access my JAMB portal.”
With no access to his records and no clear answers, Basola embarked on a desperate search for resolution. He penned multiple letters to university authorities, including the registrar and vice-chancellor, urging them to escalate his case.
After months of silence and uncertainty, relief finally came.
On Monday, Basola confirmed to PUNCH that his JAMB portal had been reactivated, and his name now appears on the matriculation list.
“I can now log in and reprint my documents. My status has been corrected,” he said. “However, I am still waiting to be mobilised for NYSC.”
The breakthrough followed intense pressure from student leaders and organisations. The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), through its national spokesperson Adeyemi Ajasa, hailed the resolution as a win for justice.
“This result was achieved through the steadfast efforts of the NANS national leadership, led by Comrade Olushola Oladoja,” Ajasa noted. “It affirms our commitment to defending students’ rights.”
NANS also commended FUTA’s Civil Engineering Department for formally addressing the matter and supporting Basola’s legitimacy.
“This incident shows how united action can correct systemic failures,” Ajasa added, pledging that NANS would continue to monitor Basola’s mobilisation process and prevent future occurrences.
Basola’s case had earlier gone viral after he posted on social media that JAMB had disowned his admission, claiming his letter did not originate from its system.
JAMB’s spokesman, Fabian Benjamin, had stated that Basola was “unknown” to the Board, insisting that emotional appeals about his background were irrelevant to the facts of the matter.
The Board had requested that Basola explain how he obtained the disputed admission letter—a request that sparked public outrage and drew further attention to the case.
Though the issue has now been resolved, it highlights the deeper flaws in Nigeria’s admission system and the potential risks faced by unsuspecting students.
For Basola, the journey is not yet over—but the darkest part is behind him.
“This fight was more than just for me. It was about every Nigerian student who could be wrongly erased by a flawed system,” he said.