The West African Examinations Council (WAEC) has launched an investigation into the reported leakage of examination questions in the ongoing 2025 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE).

The probe, according to sources, follows the circulation of the English Language paper four days before the scheduled exam date, a breach that has led to logistical disruption and public backlash. Some WAEC officials are suspected of being involved in the leak, while the police have reportedly opened a parallel investigation.

The English Language paper, initially slated for May 28, was leaked and widely circulated online, forcing WAEC to reprint question papers and reschedule exams in many centres. This led to chaotic scenes in states like Lagos, Ogun, Taraba, and Osun, where candidates reportedly sat the paper as late as midnight, many relying on torchlights and lanterns due to power outages.

Videos shared on social media showed exhausted students taking exams in the dark, prompting public outrage.

In a statement on Thursday, WAEC’s Acting Head of Public Affairs, Moyosola Adesina, apologised for the delays, blaming the incident on malpractice and security concerns.

“The measures taken to prevent paper leakage inadvertently impacted the timeliness and seamless conduct of the examination,” she said, citing logistical and socio-cultural issues.

According to WAEC, over 1.9 million candidates registered for the exam across 23,554 schools in Nigeria.