‘I escorted my students home with a cutlass at 9:20 pm’ - Teacher blasts WAEC over late-night exams

Precious Omolu 09:42 - 05 June 2026

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Logistical bottlenecks have forced thousands of 2026 WASSCE candidates in Lagos and other states to sit for core papers late into the night.

A teacher has criticised WAEC after examination delays forced students to write papers late into the night, saying he had to escort some candidates home with a cutlass for their safety.

Delays in the ongoing WAEC examinations left some students in Lagos writing papers several hours behind schedule, with some finishing as late as 10 p.m.
A teacher said he escorted students home with a cutlass at 9:20 p.m., highlighting growing concerns about candidates' safety and welfare.
Parents, school administrators and other stakeholders have criticised WAEC, while the examination body says it is working to address the challenges.

Fresh concerns have emerged over the conduct of the ongoing West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE), following reports that candidates in several centres across Lagos were forced to sit for papers late into the night due to delays in the delivery of examination materials.

The development has reignited criticism of the West African Examinations Council (WAEC), especially as similar incidents occurred during the 2025 examination season when some candidates reportedly wrote papers until midnight.

One teacher, reacting to the latest disruption, said he had to personally escort students home after their examination ended late at night.

"I escorted some of my students to their house while holding a cutlass by 9:20 pm," the teacher commented on a post on X, highlighting growing concerns over students' safety.

Outraged by the security risks, a schoolteacher took to social media to reveal he had to guard his students home with a cutlass after late-night testing.

Candidates write exams hours behind schedule

Reports from several examination centres, particularly on Lagos Island and in the Lekki area, indicate that delays became worse this week.

On Monday, candidates scheduled to sit for Physics Papers 2 and 1 between 2:00 p.m. and 5:00 p.m. reportedly experienced significant delays, with some students only beginning one of the papers around 8:00 p.m.

A similar situation played out on Wednesday during the General Mathematics examination. The essay paper was scheduled to run from 9:30 a.m. to noon, while the objective paper was fixed for 3:00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. However, several candidates reportedly did not complete the examination until around 10:00 p.m.

The delays continued on Thursday, as candidates sitting for Agricultural Science Practical were said to be left waiting for hours because examination materials had not arrived at some centres.

Principals, parents express frustration

A school principal, who spoke on condition of anonymity, questioned why the examination body appeared to be facing the same logistical challenges despite widespread criticism last year.

“Why are we experiencing this again after what happened last year? Apart from the security concerns in the country, these delays have psychological effects on candidates. Imagine preparing for an examination scheduled for noon and eventually writing it at 7 p.m. or later,” the principal said.

He added that many education stakeholders expected WAEC to have addressed the problems after the controversies that surrounded previous examinations.

Parents have also voiced concerns over the welfare and safety of students returning home late at night.

School principals warn that making students wait from noon until late evening to write critical papers like Mathematics and Physics has severe psychological impacts.

One parent in the Lekki area said his child got home around 10 p.m. after Wednesday's mathematics examination.

“My child returned home around 10 p.m. on Wednesday. We expected lessons would have been learned from last year’s experience, but the same issues are happening again,” he said.

Social media reactions grow

The delays have sparked widespread reactions on social media, with parents, teachers and concerned Nigerians questioning WAEC's examination management process.

Some users alleged that invigilators and supervisors arrived late at certain centres, while others complained about shortages of question papers and the long hours candidates were made to wait before examinations could begin.

Others raised concerns about students' ability to maintain concentration after spending an entire day waiting to write important examinations.

The issue has also renewed conversations about examination security, student welfare and the need for better coordination in the distribution of sensitive examination materials.

WAEC acknowledges challenges

WAEC's policy to combat exam malpractice inadvertently triggered widespread delays, leaving students to finish their agricultural and science practicals in total darkness.

A WAEC official who was not authorised to speak publicly confirmed that the examination body is aware of the disruptions and is working to resolve them.

“Yes, we are aware of some hitches due to unforeseen circumstances. However, we are doing everything possible to address the issues, and hopefully, things will return to normal soon,” the official said.

As of the time of filing this report, WAEC had not released an official public statement explaining the exact cause of the delays.

Stakeholders are now calling on the examination body to provide clarity on the situation and put measures in place to prevent a repeat of the disruptions, particularly as thousands of candidates continue to sit for the 2026 WASSCE across Nigeria.