Gunmen invade Kogi school, abduct principal, NECO official, four students as Ododo orders rescue operation
Gunmen on Tuesday invaded Government Secondary School, Olowa, in Dekina Local Government Area of Kogi State, abducting the school principal, a National Examinations Council (NECO) official and four students during the ongoing NECO examination.
The attackers reportedly stormed the community at about 5:25 p.m., firing sporadically before invading the school where candidates were writing their examinations. Residents said the gunmen caused panic as people fled for safety, while examination papers were later found scattered across classrooms after the attackers had left.
A community leader, Sunday Alkali, said the victims were identified as the school principal, Mr. Nyada Daniel, the NECO supervisor, Mr. Solomon Audu, and four students.
He added that the number of abducted students could have been higher if more candidates had been sitting for the examination at the time. According to residents, the kidnappers later contacted some relatives of the victims, demanding ransom for their release.
Confirming the incident, the Kogi State Police Command said one of the abducted students had been rescued, while tactical teams had been deployed to track down the kidnappers and secure the release of the remaining victims. Police spokesperson, ASP Saliu Oyiza Afusat, said the Commissioner of Police, Naziru Kankarofi, visited the scene alongside the Commander of the 12 Brigade of the Nigerian Army and the State Security Adviser to coordinate rescue efforts.
The police disclosed that preliminary investigations revealed the school had previously been shut down by the state government because of its remote location and security concerns.
However, the abandoned premises were allegedly being used illegally as a special examination centre for the ongoing NECO examinations. Investigators are also probing allegations that the centre had become notorious for examination malpractice, warning that anyone found culpable would be prosecuted.
The Kogi State Government said Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo had directed security agencies to intensify efforts to rescue the victims. Commissioner for Information and Communications, Kingsley Fanwo, said a multi agency operation involving the Nigerian Army, Police, Department of State Services, Kogi State Vigilante Service, local hunters and other security agencies had been launched. He added that one victim had been rescued, while advanced technology was being deployed to locate the remaining abductees.
The government also revealed that preliminary findings suggested the examination centre was allegedly being used as a “miracle centre” for external candidates and that the examination arrangements did not comply with the state’s security framework for NECO examinations. It, however, assured residents that every effort was being made to rescue the victims and bring the perpetrators to justice.
Reacting to the incident, the National Parent Teacher Association of Nigeria and the Nigeria Union of Teachers renewed calls for the full implementation of the Safe Schools Initiative.
NAPTAN Board Chairman, Chief Deolu Ogunbanjo, urged authorities to provide armed security around schools, while NUT President, Titus Amba, called for improved surveillance, intelligence gathering and rapid emergency response systems to protect schools from attacks.