WAEC Whistleblower Row Escalates As Police Summon Official Over Cyberstalking, Defamation Allegations

The Nigeria Police Force National Cybercrime Centre has invited a West African Examinations Council staff member, Olanrewaju Fadehan, to appear before its Abuja office on Wednesday over allegations of cyberstalking and criminal defamation, deepening a dispute between the official and the examination body.

The police invitation comes shortly after the Lagos State High Court issued an interim order restraining Fadehan from publishing or circulating statements deemed defamatory against WAEC and its Director-General, Dr Amos Dangut.

Confirming the developments, Fadehan disclosed that he received the court papers on Monday alongside the police invitation, noting that he has been directed to report to the cybercrime centre in Abuja by 10am on Wednesday for questioning.

The court order, issued by Justice Yetunde Adesanya in Suit No. LD/ADR/6656/2026, bars Fadehan from publishing, broadcasting, circulating or disseminating any defamatory or injurious material concerning WAEC's examinations, results, certificates, or Dangut's personal integrity, across any platform including YouTube and WhatsApp. The order is set to lapse after seven days unless renewed by the court.

WAEC and its Director-General are jointly seeking N825 million in damages from Fadehan, comprising N500 million in general damages for libel, N300 million in aggravated and exemplary damages, and N25 million in costs. They are also asking the court to compel Fadehan to retract his publications, issue a public apology, and permanently remove the contested content from all platforms.

Fadehan, who serves as Head of Examinations at WAEC's Anambra office, had gained public attention through a series of viral videos calling for a review of the 2026 West African Senior School Certificate Examination results over alleged irregularities. He also raised allegations of financial impropriety within the council, touching on issues such as the supply of calculators and identification cards to candidates, as well as service charges imposed on examination candidates.

According to Fadehan, some candidates were not supplied with appropriate calculators during the examination, a lapse he claimed contributed to poor performance in Mathematics and other subjects requiring calculations. He said his efforts to raise these concerns through petitions to the WAEC Board, the House of Representatives Committee on Basic Education and Examining Bodies, and the Minister of Education were instead met with disciplinary action and eventual interdiction.

In a separate development, WAEC's legal team, Union Attorneys, accused Fadehan of publishing a series of videos targeting the council and its leadership, citing titles such as "Tyranny in WAEC, Nigeria: Dangut must go," and "Dangut is a thief," which they described as containing inaccurate and reckless claims. The lawyers noted that the publications persisted even after a cease-and-desist letter was issued on August 24, 2026.

Responding to the allegations, WAEC's spokesperson, Moyosola Adesina, accused Fadehan of circulating falsehoods to discredit the council, further alleging that he was linked to the misappropriation and attempted cover-up of diesel from the council's underground tank at its Awka office. The council maintained that Fadehan, following a four-week suspension over that matter, began levelling unsubstantiated allegations against the council under the guise of whistleblowing. WAEC also clarified that Fadehan remains an employee of the council, despite his claims that his employment had been terminated, noting that he has continued to receive his salary.

However, Fadehan disputed the fuel-related allegations, stating that an internal panel investigation cleared him and other staff of any wrongdoing, attributing the shortage instead to a leakage. He maintained that the fuel matter was unrelated to his current interdiction, which he said stemmed solely from the defamation allegations brought against him after he raised the calculator complaint. He also denied harbouring any bitterness over the sanctions, noting that he has since filed an appeal against the disciplinary action.

Fadehan further alleged that the issues surrounding the release of the 2026 results, which he said was initially expected between August 3 and 5 in line with WAEC's usual pattern of releasing results on Mondays, were part of the broader concerns he had sought to raise before facing disciplinary proceedings.

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