A graduate of Nasarawa State University, Keffi (NSUK), Adamu Sunday, has been plunged into deep depression after being denied enrollment in the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) due to an alleged mix-up in his Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) registration number.
Sunday, who graduated with a degree in Economics in 2024, claimed that his JAMB registration number was assigned to another student, who then used it to complete the mandatory one-year national service. As a result, he has been unable to participate in the NYSC program, leaving his future uncertain.
“I Feel Like Ending It All” – Graduate Laments
Speaking with Sunday PUNCH, he described his mental distress after realizing that someone else had benefited from his four years of academic labor.
“I am depressed knowing someone has reaped the labor of my four years. This person used my registration number to serve, and I believe he must have been using that NYSC certificate to work and make a living. Look at me, the real owner of the number. I have graduated, but I cannot serve; what value do my results have? Not going to school is better than what is happening to me. I feel like ending it all,” he lamented.
Sunday, who registered for JAMB on February 7, 2018, was admitted to study Economics at NSUK in 2018 but resumed classes in 2019 due to an academic strike. He only discovered the shocking mix-up when he repeatedly attempted to register for NYSC but was rejected.
“I Was Told I Had Already Served in 2019”
Sunday recounted how he visited the school’s Student Affairs Division in July 2024 to inquire about his NYSC registration, only to be shocked by their response.
“A list was brought to me, and I was told that I had already served in 2019. But I resumed in 2019 due to a strike, so how was that possible? I explained that it was impossible, but the Data Entry Officer, Idris Dahiru, refused to listen.”
In his quest for answers, Sunday visited the JAMB Zonal Office in Abuja, where biometric verification confirmed that he was indeed the original owner of the registration number. However, he was advised to return to NSUK, as the issue originated from the school.
Upon returning to Student Affairs, he was assured that an investigation would be carried out, but after multiple follow-ups, his calls and inquiries were ignored.
University Officials Dismiss Complaints, Insist on JAMB Regularization
Feeling abandoned, Sunday escalated the issue to his Head of Department (HOD), who instructed him to write a formal letter to the Dean of Student Affairs. Weeks passed with no response. He then sought help from the Vice-Chancellor’s (VC) office, where the VC’s Special Assistant, Gbadamosi, wrote a note directing Student Affairs to act on his case.
However, upon returning to Student Affairs, he was met with dismissal and ridicule.
“The Student Affairs officer told me that even if the VC got involved, they were the ones who would advise him on the matter,” Sunday recalled.
Instead of addressing the issue, school officials pressured him to undergo JAMB regularization, a process that involves getting a new JAMB number, essentially making his initial admission invalid.
“I contacted someone in JAMB, and they advised me against doing regularization because it would make my admission invalid and my results useless,” he explained.
JAMB and NYSC Acknowledge Complaint, but No Action Yet
Frustrated, Sunday wrote official complaints to the JAMB Registrar and NYSC headquarters, both of which acknowledged his case.
“On September 4, 2024, I wrote to JAMB, and they confirmed that I was the rightful owner of the registration number. On September 5, I wrote to NYSC, but they told me they only work with lists sent by schools,” he explained.
After insisting that his NYSC mobilization was fraudulent, an official from NYSC contacted Student Affairs at NSUK, directing them to investigate.
However, upon returning to Student Affairs, the Data Entry Officer mocked him, saying:
“If you like, report the matter anywhere in the world, they will still refer you back to us.”
He was again pressured to undergo regularization, with officials telling him that other affected students had done the same.
Desperate Plea for Justice
Sunday is now appealing to JAMB, NYSC, the Federal Ministry of Education, and other relevant authorities to intervene and correct the injustice.
“This injustice must be corrected. I should not be made to suffer for something I knew nothing about,” he pleaded.
Attempts to get a response from NSUK’s spokesperson, Abraham Ekpo, were unsuccessful at the time of this report. Calls placed to him were not answered, and he has yet to respond to messages regarding the matter.
Public Outrage Over the Incident
Sunday’s case has sparked widespread concern over the integrity of university administration and NYSC mobilization processes. Many are now questioning how such a serious mix-up could occur and why authorities are failing to act swiftly to correct the issue.
As the situation remains unresolved, calls for JAMB and NYSC to take decisive action grow louder, with many demanding that Sunday be given his rightful place in the NYSC program and that those responsible for the fraud be held accountable.