By Ayodele Oni
The National Examinations Council (NECO) has clarified the status of an examination centre in Kogi state where it’s officials and some students were abducted on Tuesday.
The examination body is fdrnanied allegwmations that Government Secondary School, Olowa, in Dekina Local Government Area of Kogi State operates as a “miracle examination centre”.
The Kogi State Commissioner for Information and Communications, Kingsley Fanwo, had described the school as a “miracle centre,” following the abduction of five persons at the centre on Tuesday, July 14, 2026.
Reacting via a statement issued on Friday, the NECO Acting Director of Information and Public Relations, Azeez Sani, described the allegations as false and misleading.
Sani explained that the school, is owned by the Kogi State Government and has existed for more than 40 years while presenting candidates for the Senior School Certificate Examination (SSCE) since 2000.
Sani stated that NECO sympathised with the victims and commended the Kogi State Government and security agencies for securing the rescue of the remaining four victims.
He, however, maintained that the school was a recognised examination centre with duly registered candidates.
The NECO official said the abducted principal, Elder Daniel Iyamaa, is a Grade Level 17 officer in the Kogi State Civil Service, while the kidnapped supervisor, Solomon Audu, is a Grade Level 12 officer employed by the state government.
He added that the 28 candidates registered by the school for the 2026 SSCE were bonafide students and not external candidates.
Sani further revealed that the school’s enrolment for the examination over the past five years remained consistent, with 21 candidates in 2021, 20 in 2022, 28 in 2023, 40 in 2024 and 20 in 2025.
He noted that the Kogi state Government paid the examination fees of 51 candidates from the same school for the 2026 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE).
According to him, before the commencement of the 2026 SSCE, NECO’s Kogi State coordinator had written to security agencies in the state, seeking support to ensure the smooth conduct of the examination.
The move, he added, followed an earlier terrorist attack on Government Secondary School, Iluke, in Ijumu Local Government Area during the 2026 WASSC.
Sani reiterated NECO’s zero tolerance for examination malpractice, saying the council has introduced reforms that has significantly reduced malpractice cases over the past five years.
He urged public officials and other stakeholders to verify information before making statements capable of damaging the reputation of institutions or causing unnecessary public anxiety.
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