Court Orders WAEC to Release Withheld 2023 Results of 47 Students in Sokoto

The Sokoto State High Court has directed the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) to immediately release the withheld results of 47 students from Global Kids Academy, Sokoto.

Justice Muawiya Mahmud made the ruling after hearing arguments from the plaintiff’s counsel, Ferdinand Okotete, and defence counsel, Kabiru Yusuf. WAEC’s legal team was led by Taiwo Osipitan, SAN.

The court found that WAEC’s actions violated the students’ rights and condemned the council’s publications about the school as damaging and defamatory. It declared WAEC’s decision at its 76th NEC meeting “null and void” due to a breach of the right to a fair hearing.

Justice Mahmud further ordered WAEC to release the 2023 General Mathematics results of the students, emphasizing that they were not involved in any malpractice. WAEC was also instructed to issue a formal retraction and apology to the school via a letter, its website, and a widely circulated national newspaper.

Additionally, the court awarded Global Kids Academy N10 million in general and aggravated damages, along with N1 million for legal costs.