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The West African Examinations Council WASSCE has started investigating the leakage of examination questions in the ongoing 2025 West African Senior School Certificate Examination, Sunday PUNCH reports.

Our correspondents gathered that some officials of the exam body might be connected to the leakage, particularly the circulation of the English Language paper to the public four days before the examination.

It was learnt that the police had also opened a probe into the matter.

The 2025 WASSCE English Language paper was leaked in some parts of the country, forcing WAEC to reprint new sets of questions.

The situation forced many candidates to sit the exam late into the night without electricity. Some of the affected states are Lagos, Ogun, Taraba, and Osun.

Videos and photos circulated on social media showed students sitting the examination as late as 12am and relying on torchlights and lanterns due to power outages.

The exam body, however, apologised for the delay in the conduct of the exam, blaming it on question paper leakage and malpractice.

In a statement on Thursday, WAEC’s Acting Head of Public Affairs, Moyosola Adesina, said the measures taken to prevent paper leakage “inadvertently impacted the timeliness and seamless conduct of the examination.”

She cited logistical challenges, security concerns, and sociocultural issues as contributing factors.

No fewer than 1,973,253 candidates registered for this year’s WASSCE across 23,554 schools in the country.

This came barely a month after the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board suffered a major glitch during the 2025/2026 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination, which left thousands of candidates stranded and disrupted scheduled sittings nationwide.

How exam papers leaked

Credible sources within the council, who spoke to Sunday PUNCH on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the matter, confirmed that WAEC had already involved the police and other security agencies to investigate those behind the leak.

One of the sources explained that the council had printed the exam questions, which were being distributed when a concerned Nigerian sent information about the leak.

The source said the council was forced to reprint question papers in response to the tip-off.

The official admitted that the situation took staff by surprise, disrupting scheduled logistics and putting pressure on human resources.

“Everybody was under pressure. Some people worked 48 hours non-stop just to manage the crisis. Some staff in Ikorodu had to travel to printing presses and help pack and code question papers,” the source said.

According to insider revelations, a syndicate of “exam run” operators made millions from leaked papers.

Another source said, “One platform had over 80,000 subscribers. They were charging N1,000 per candidate for answers to the English Language paper. Even if only 50,000 people paid, that’s N50m. We have begun tracing payments made to rogue platforms, especially on WhatsApp and Telegram.”

When asked whether arrests had been made, the source simply stated, “We have met with all necessary agencies and are tracking the information. The process is ongoing.”

Leaked papers

Sunday PUNCH sighted leaked question papers that included English Language, Geography, Physics, and Literature-in-English on social media platforms such as WhatsApp and Telegram.

Some of the platforms included Free WAEC Exam Infos, WAEC, Free WAEC NECO IJMB/JUBEP Students Connect, King of Exams Runs, WAEC GCE NECO Expo, Nigeria School Exams, Exam Tips Solution, and WAEC, NECO and JAMB Expo.

On some of them, users were asked to pay between N1,500 and N5,000, depending on the subject, to “buy” leaked examination papers.

A message on one of the platforms, posted on Saturday, May 24, four days before the exam, read, “For English and Mathematics, N1,500 compulsory. It will be dropping at midnight with full essay and objectives. Start subscribing ‘cause only those in the VIP will be lucky. 09159611255.”

On another platform, the cover page of the English Language Paper Two was posted on Tuesday, May 27, a day before the examination, with the poster urging candidates to pay N1,000 to get the questions.

A school administrator, who spoke to Sunday PUNCH on condition of anonymity, alleged that the questions were leaked by senior officials of the council.

He blamed the incident on the greedy officials, adding that they were only interested in personal gain.

“The question had been out as early as Saturday and Sunday, even before the exam on Wednesday. We had access to the summary, comprehension, essay, and objective questions.

“Some people got the questions through different platforms on social media. The questions were sold for as much as N4,000.

“I will blame the incident on greedy officials of the council who are all out to make money through whatever means possible.”

 

Parents, candidates fear mass failure

Parents and some candidates expressed fear of mass failure following the late-night conduct of the English Language paper on Wednesday in some centres across the country.

Some parents, who spoke to Sunday PUNCH, blamed the exam body for subjecting candidates to inhumane and mentally draining conditions, and called for an immediate re-sit of the examination to prevent mass failure.

The parents, under the aegis of the National Parents Teachers Association of Nigeria, condemned the poor conduct of the examination and called on WAEC to cancel the English Language paper and reschedule it.

The National Publicity Secretary of NAPTAN, Ademola Ekundayo, made the call in a statement made available to journalists on Thursday.

The body bemoaned the hardship students went through during the examination, adding that parents were also thrown into turmoil while worrying about the whereabouts of their children.

They called for the outright cancellation of the English Language paper, arguing that no reasonable results could come out of the examination.

Speaking to Sunday PUNCH, the father of one of the candidates at Islahudeen Grammar School, Oke-Oniti, Osogbo, Osun State, Ajayi Ademola, lamented that the development was disturbing for him and his daughter.

He said his daughter could not revise for the next day’s paper after getting home around 11 p.m. on Wednesday.

Ademola said, “It was a disturbing experience for me when Idowu didn’t return home around 6:30–7 p.m. She had the English paper around 2pm, and she was expected to be back home around 6pm. I started reaching out to people in town to find out what was happening, and I was told they were just starting the exam around 7 p.m.

“I was moved to tears as I pitied the students who had been seated since 1:30pm in preparation for an exam that was supposed to start by 2pm. How were they going to perform well in the exam? WAEC is not fair to the students. If you claim the exam question leaked, were the students responsible for that? The body should sanitise itself and stop punishing our children for the inadequacies of its staff. The exam should have been cancelled and rescheduled for another day.”

Another parent, Dele Ajewole, said his daughter sat the examination at a private school in the Ogo-Oluwa area in Osogbo, and was distraught before the papers were distributed to the students around 7:35 p.m. in her school.

He added that many of her colleagues were too tired by the time the examination eventually commenced.

“As a parent, if you are told by your child what they went through, then you already have an idea of what the result would be. If this suggestion can be considered, then I would say students should be allowed to re-sit the paper.

“The likelihood of mass failure is high with the challenges that marred the conduct of the exams. I waited for my daughter to complete her paper around 9:30 p.m. before we left the school premises. Everyone was rushing the paper because it was late,” he said.

Speaking in a similar vein, another parent, Isiaka Akande, who said the paper should be cancelled and a new date fixed, noted that parents and students already had an excuse should mass failure be recorded in the subject.

Also narrating her experience, a mother, Mrs Ngozi Akasike, said she became apprehensive when her daughter, Peace, didn’t return home around 7pm.

“I came back from work at 7 o’clock in the evening, only to find that my daughter, who is currently sitting the WASSCE, had not yet returned home. As a mother, I became apprehensive and was eager to know the reason she hadn’t come back. I remembered I needed to call one of the teachers at school, but his phone was switched off, which heightened my fears,” she said.

Upon arriving at the venue, Akasike said she discovered her daughter was still in the exam hall, writing English Language at exactly 23 minutes past 7.

‘Leaked exam placed serious students at disadvantage’

Speaking to Sunday PUNCH, a candidate, Olamide Adefowope, lamented that the leaked examination questions placed honest students at a serious disadvantage.

She expressed concern that the integrity of the exam process had been compromised, adding that WAEC must take decisive action to restore fairness and accountability.

Adefowope expressed fear of mass failure following the circumstances in which students were forced to sit the examination.

“We would have performed better if we had written it in the afternoon because within that afternoon, our brains were still cool, but that night, our brains were already hot because some people already wanted to go home.

“Nigeria’s education system is getting worse every day. A similar thing happened during the JAMB examination. They are making things hard for us, and it’s not supposed to be like that.

“I was under stress and pressure during the examination. I just managed to answer the questions, I did the little I could and left because it was very late in the night,” she stated.

Another candidate, Fatima Yusuf, who sat the examination in Lagos, called for the immediate cancellation of the English Language paper, describing the situation as unfair and demoralising.

She urged the examination body to prioritise integrity and justice, stressing that failure to act could erode public confidence in WAEC examinations.

The National President of ANCOPPS, Mallam Musa Ibrahim, who spoke with Sunday PUNCH, argued that the introduction of CBT at the secondary school level would further curtail malpractice and eliminate the influence of “miracle centres” and rogue websites.

He said, “Just like JAMB, if WAEC goes paperless, you throw rogue websites and miracle centres out of business. The attack on WAEC and JAMB is part of a wider resistance to reform. Some people don’t want CBT at the secondary school level because it will destroy their illicit business.”

He advised WAEC to improve the early detection of leaks and continue to act swiftly, as they did during the recent incident.

On his part, the National President of NAPPS, Yomi Otubela, called for a thorough investigation into the incident.

Otubela explained the need for a fact-finding committee to ascertain the actual events surrounding the examination before making any definitive decisions.

He said, “I am not against a re-sit, but a committee that will investigate the exact thing that happened should come first. If the committee finds that all the information circulating on social media is true, then there may actually be a need for a re-sit.”

“From my investigation, what some schools are saying is that students finished at 6 p.m., and I felt if they finished at 6, it might be okay. But we also need to investigate what the scheduled finishing time for the paper was. I guess it wasn’t 6 p.m.”

Speaking to Sunday PUNCH, a senior lecturer in the Department of Educational Management at the University of Lagos, Dr Olusola Thomas, urged the examination body to revisit some of the affected subjects.

“As it stands, we’ve not been able to fully ascertain the extent of the damage. So far, we’ve relied largely on public accounts and preliminary reports, which may not be comprehensive or detailed.

We don’t even have an exact count of the schools that have been compromised. This clearly suggests that the affected subjects need to be revisited,” she said.

According to her, the long hours of waiting before writing exams could have far-reaching consequences on the students’ mental health and potentially lead to widespread failure.

 

The Federal Government has denied knowledge of a controversial Russian work-study programme linked to the production of military drones used in the war against Ukraine.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Nigeria was not involved in it.

However, a document posted on the website of the Ministry of Education, which had been trending for a while, suggests Nigerian youths were encouraged to apply for the scholarship.

The controversy centres on the Alabuga Special Economic Zone in the Republic of Tatarstan, Russia.

The centre is a sprawling industrial hub that came under Ukrainian missile attack on April 23, 2025.

At the heart of the facility’s operations is the production of Iranian-designed suicide drones deployed by Russian forces in their ongoing military campaign.

It is within this zone that a programme dubbed, “Alabuga Start” has emerged as a focal point of concern.

Military job disguised

Marketed as a vocational training scheme for foreign students, the programme has drawn condemnation following revelations that young African women, some allegedly under the age of 18, were recruited under false pretences.

Reports suggest that participants believed they were enrolling in academic and technical training but found themselves working on drone assembly lines under hazardous conditions.

A report by The Economist on Thursday revealed that the young recruits were not informed that their work would contribute directly to Russia’s military effort.

The report aligned with earlier findings by the Associated Press, which in 2024 documented how social media platforms, including YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok, had removed several accounts promoting the Alabuga Start programme.

The platforms acted following the exposure of recruitment efforts championed by a school known as Alabuga Polytechnic, which brands itself as a centre for advanced technical education, particularly in drone manufacturing.

The removed accounts had a combined following of over 53,000 users.

Some former workers at the facility told AP that they endured gruelling conditions, long shifts under surveillance, exposure to toxic chemicals, and unmet promises regarding pay and the curriculum.

Four women reported working up to 12 hours per day with irregular days off.

Most of those interviewed expressed dissatisfaction over the wage paid. They revealed that initial promises of a $700 monthly wage were revised down to “over $500” in later communications.

Also, expenses, ranging from airfare and accommodation to medical costs and language lessons, were reportedly deducted from salaries

Inside Alabuga drone factory

According to a detailed report by the Voice of America, after Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022, it deepened military ties with Iran, signing a $1.7bn deal that same year to import Iranian-made drones, known as UAVs.

It noted that the drones, initially shipped in disassembled parts, are mass-produced on Russian soil, most notably at the Alabuga Special Economic Zone in Tatarstan.

Originally established in 2006 to attract foreign investment and boost industrial development, Alabuga has since transformed.

Following the invasion, parts of the zone were converted for military use, with satellite imagery revealing the expansion and refurbishment of facilities dedicated to drone production.

The primary focus is the Shahed-136, a one-way attack drone.

According to leaked documents and reports from the Washington-based Institute for Science and International Security, Alabuga aims to produce up to 6,000 drones annually by 2025.

The scholarship

Faced with record-low unemployment and a domestic workforce depleted by war mobilisation and emigration, the factory turned to vocational students and cheap foreign labour.

According to VOA, verified documents show the workforce expanded from fewer than 900 in 2023 to a projected 2,600 by 2025.

Many of the assembly-line workers were initially foreign women, particularly from Central and East Africa, tasked with assembling drones and applying industrial chemicals and paints.

In early 2025, 182 women, mostly from African nations, were recruited, according to the Alabuga Start programme’s Facebook page.

Recruitment drives were held in Uganda, where efforts reportedly extended to orphanages.

Russian officials also visited over two dozen embassies in Moscow to promote the scheme, targeting potential labour from Africa, South America, and Asia.

The factory also draws from Alabuga Polytechnic, a boarding vocational school nearby, where Russian teenagers and Central Asian youth, some as young as 15, are trained in drone manufacturing.

Investigative outlets Protokol and Razvorot also reported complaints of poor working conditions from students.

Life inside complex

Based on the VOA report, foreign recruits live in guarded dormitories with shared kitchens.

Social media posts reveal that entry is controlled by facial recognition, with CCTV monitoring throughout.

Recruits are also said to have been issued local SIM cards but must surrender their phones before entering the drone production zone, a designated military facility.

A worker, who spoke to AP, described the training they received to assemble drones and apply a chemical coating with the texture of yoghurt.

She said the substance caused painful facial irritation and “tiny holes” on her skin. Protective gear was reportedly insufficient or unavailable.

While AP could not identify the exact chemical, Fabian Hinz of the International Institute for Strategic Studies confirmed that such manufacturing processes involve caustic materials.

Nigeria’s connection

The Nigerian link to the programme surfaced after a letter issued by the Federal Ministry of Education’s Federal Scholarship Board went viral.

The letter, bearing official insignia, appeared to invite Nigerian youths to apply for the Alabuga Start programme.

It listed a variety of academic disciplines, including Industrial Automation and Electrical Installation.

Checks by Sunday PUNCH confirmed that the letter was indeed published on the official website of the Federal Scholarship Board under the link titled, “Russia 2022 Special Economic Zone,” giving it a semblance of credibility and prompting questions about possible official endorsement.

The letter on the website read in part, “Scholarship offer from the Special Economic Zone, ‘Alabuga’ Republic of Tatarstan.

“The Embassy of the Federal Republic of Nigeria in Russia is notifying Nigerians about the Alabuga Start Programme, which has an offer of one hundred and fifty (150) scholarships to international students to compete for scholarship slots in Alabuga Polytech.

“Alabuga Polytech offers undergraduate programmes in Industrial Robotics, Industrial Automation, Electrical Installation, Laboratory Chemical Analysis, Information Systems and Programming, as well as Maintenance and Repair of Radio Electronic Equipment.

“Successful applicants will be entitled to free accommodation, 20,000 Rubles (about $300) as monthly stipend, transportation allowance, and a guarantee of employment upon completion of studies.

“To be eligible for the programme, applicants must learn 100 Russian words, reach ‘level 1’ in analytics and communication, play a game of ‘Business Cats’, and take part in a face-to-face interview.”

FG denies knowledge

Despite this discovery, the Federal Government denied any connection to the programme.

The spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Kimiebi Ebienfa, stated, “The ministry is not aware.”

The Nigerians in Diaspora Commission also denied any knowledge of the scheme.

“NiDCOM is not aware at all,” the spokesperson for the commission, Abdur-Rahman Balogun, told Sunday PUNCH.

When contacted, the spokesperson for the Federal Ministry of Education, Folasade Omoboriowo, asked our correspondent to send a text message.

After receiving the message, she declined to comment.

Ukraine, Russia react

However, Ukraine’s Ambassador to Nigeria, Ivan Kholostenko, confirmed that Africans had been identified among those working at the Alabuga drone facility.

Speaking to Sunday PUNCH, Kholostenko warned that any foreign national employed in Russia’s defence sector was at grave risk, given that such sites were legitimate military targets.

He said, “The Ukrainian side drew the attention of our African partners to the fact that the Russian recruitment programme is reportedly being used to recruit African citizens for employment at enterprises engaged in the production of weaponry used in attacks against Ukraine.

“Given that enterprises within Russia’s military-industrial complex constitute legitimate targets for the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the employment of African citizens at such facilities places their lives at significant risk.

“As for the strikes, we know of at least one case confirmed by the Ukrainian General Staff, when the Armed Forces of Ukraine struck the Elabuzky district of the Republic of Tatarstan, which happened on April 23, 2025.”

Pressed on whether Ukraine had formally warned the Federal Government, the ambassador declined to disclose the nature of diplomatic communications, citing the sensitivity of bilateral exchanges.

The Embassy of Russia in Nigeria had on May 13 described those criticising the Alabuga programme as pro-westerners, insinuating that some of the writers were paid.

“Rest assured that Russia, which has fought for independence for centuries, respects and values the right of any people to freedom at any point. We support Africa and other countries in the fight against terrorism and the remnants of colonialism, and we also oppose the domination of some countries over others,” it added.

Contacted on the raging controversy, the Russian Ambassador to Nigeria, Andrey Podelyshev, in a brief response to Sunday PUNCH, said, “The Russian Embassy in Nigeria has no information on which factories and plants located in the Russian Federation foreign people are employed, including citizens of African states.”

Nigerians express concern

Meanwhile, Nigerians have expressed outrage over the development, blaming the Federal Government for exposing youths to danger.

An X (formerly Twitter) user, Ibrahim Israel Sasay @humble_izz, claimed that his sister was exposed to poor working conditions and paid a meagre wage at Alabuga.

“My younger sister was there. Thanks to God, she returned safe. She complained about being treated differently from what they told them earlier. They were paid a little token to work in a dangerous place which couldn’t even meet their basic needs. She said their lives were at risk while working in those explosive environments,” Ibrahim said.

Our correspondent could not independently verify ibrahiom’s claim. Sunday PUNCH attempted to get further information from him, but he had yet to reply as of press time.

Another X user, Murtala @Murtalabin, slammed the Federal Government for promoting the scheme.

“This initiative is a weapon manufacturing scheme in Russia, masked as a vocational training project,” he said.

Another X user, Temi @Superpiz said, “It is a failure on their (Nigerian government) path; Ambassador should be having classified intel about that particular programme since. Those students should have been returned home, unless the FG is in complicit with Russia.”

Afolabi @Ahfo wrote, “Nigerian government, sending its citizens to die in Alabuga, Russia. Damn it.”

SK Media @Spaghettikozak said, “If you like being exploited as slave labour for an aggressive war and also getting blown up by Ukrainian drones in response, Alabuga is perfect!”

Ex-envoys urge probe

Reacting to the development, a former Nigerian ambassador to the Philippines, Dr Yemi Farounbi, advised the Federal Government to seek immediate clarification from Russian authorities concerning the welfare and activities of Nigerian citizens participating in the vocational programme.

He stated that whether or not the government was previously aware of the initiative, it had a constitutional duty to protect the lives and property of its citizens.

He said, “First of all, the Federal Government may not have known about it, but as a government responsible for the welfare of Nigerians, it has the right to write to the ambassador of that country and ask questions.

“They should request clarification on the conditions under which Nigerians are living and what exactly they are being used for.

“Because of the bilateral relationship that exists between the two countries, I think that is the first step to be taken. They need to request more information about the safety of Nigerians concerning their activities in line with the stated purpose of the programme.

“If they are not satisfied after receiving a response, then the government can take further action based on the information received.

“Whether they were aware of it or not, because it involves Nigerians, whose lives and property they are constitutionally bound to protect, the government must consider itself involved in the matter.”

Similarly, a former Director-General of the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs, Prof. Bola Akinterinwa, said Russia might be using the scholarship to recruit workers.

He said, “The principles of non-intervention must be well understood. Russia cannot offer anybody a scholarship except through the government structure.

“War creates job opportunities, and as you are in Africa, there are lots of issues with employment.

“Giving scholarships is to increase the number of supporters for Russia. Scholarship is a tool of soft power, and that is what Russia may be doing with that.”

 

A young Nigerian parents has stirred widespread reactions after reportedly gifting their 7-year-old daughter a brand new iPhone 16 for her birthday.

A trending video circulating on social media captured the heartwarming moment the little girl, dressed in a stunning gown for her birthday photoshoot, was surprised by her parents with a high-end smartphone.

The smartphone worth over one million naira with complicated features for a child her age triggered mixed reactions from social media users.

The emotional scene has since ignited heated conversations about age-appropriate gifts and parenting choices in the digital age.

Reactions trailing iPhone 16 gift to a child

grace_ugoekesiobi remarked, “There’s something called an age appropriate gift and NO! I’m not broke and yes I have a child of my own too 😂.”

meshihee added, “What a disturbing gift…..An average Naija parent rarely understands parenting……”

lagosmealprepsociety commented, “🤭Lol. Maybe mummy will use it for her until she’s old enough. It is well.”

mama_ejimas said, “People can do anything to trend. Which school does she attend? How many countries has she visited? They bought phone for one of the parents and just want to trend unnecessarily.”

Watch the video below …

A devastating road accident has claimed the lives of at least 20 athletes from Kano State who were returning from the just-concluded 2025 National Sports Festival, popularly known as the Gateway Games, held in Abeokuta, Ogun State.

The tragic incident occurred on Saturday at Dakatsalle Bridge in the Kura Local Government Area of Kano State. The athletes were travelling in a bus that reportedly plunged off the bridge, leading to the fatal crash.

Confirming the heartbreaking development, the Chairman of the Kano State Sports Commission, Umar Fagge, revealed that the vehicle was carrying 30 athletes when the accident occurred.

“As I am talking to you now, we have counted 19 dead bodies,” Fagge stated somberly, adding that several others sustained various degrees of injuries.

According to eyewitnesses, the accident site quickly turned chaotic as emergency responders and locals rushed to rescue the survivors and retrieve the bodies of the deceased.

Ado Salisu, a former Vice President of the Sports Writers Association of Nigeria (SWAN), said that some of the victims were still being taken to the Kura General Hospital for treatment and further identification.

The Public Relations Officer of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) in Kano, Abdullahi Labaran, also confirmed the crash but said the agency could not yet confirm the exact number of casualties and injured persons.

Lecturer at Nnamdi Azikiwe University (UNIZIK) has gone viral for adopting a creative “photo attendance” system to tackle chronic absenteeism and signature forgery among students.

In a video shared by the lecturer, Dr. Taiwo Oluwaseyi, identified as @taiwo_2222 on TikTok, he explained that students are now required to appear in a group photo taken at the end of each lecture, effectively serving as proof of attendance.

The video showcased a dramatic view of the class, with students lining up after the lecture to be captured in the attendance photo. According to the lecturer, the new system has significantly improved student turnout, as many are now making more effort to attend classes regularly.

“No more signature attendance. Signature forging is real. It’s either you show in the class picture or not,” the lecturer declared in his caption.

He further emphasised that under his new system, any student not visible in the group photo would be marked absent, regardless of whether their name appeared in any signed register.

“If you’re not in the photo, you weren’t in class. That’s the rule,” he wrote.