One Rescued As Principal, SSCE Official, Students Are Kidnaped In Kogi

By Ayodele Oni

The Principal, National Examinations Council (NECO) ad hoc official and four students of Government Secondary School, Odo-Ekina, in Dekina Local Government Area, of Kogi state have been abducted by gunmen.

Coming few days after similar incident was recorded in the state, the latest attack has raised fresh concerns over the safety of schools in Kogi State.

The victims were among those participating in the ongoing Senior School Certificate Examinations, (SSCE)

The attack, which occurred at about 5:25 p.m. on Tuesday, disrupted the examination and sent candidates, teachers and residents fleeing for safety as the gunmen stormed the school premises.

The Kogi State Police Command confirmed the incident, disclosing that one of the abducted students had been rescued through the intervention of security operatives, while efforts were ongoing to secure the release of the remaining victims.

Police Public Relations Officer, ASP Salisu Oyiza, said a combined team of police personnel, the military, local vigilantes, hunters and other security agencies had launched an intensive search-and-rescue operation to track down the kidnappers.

She also revealed that the Commissioner of Police, Naziru Kankarofi, accompanied by the Brigade Commander and the Kogi State Security Adviser, was on his way to the affected community for an on-the-spot assessment of the situation, assuring that further details would be made available as investigations progress.

The latest abduction has deepened anxiety over the security of educational institutions in the state, particularly during national examinations.

 It comes only weeks after another attack on a secondary school in Kogi left a vice principal and two other persons dead during an attempted kidnapping.

The incident also followed another recent security breach along the Ochadamu-Ejule Expressway, where suspected bandits attacked a vehicle conveying the remains of a Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) official, Augustine Ikwue, abducting several occupants.

Security operatives later recovered the abandoned vehicle and casket, while the deceased’s remains were deposited at the Elemona Mortuary in Ejule.

According to the police, joint security teams have intensified operations across the affected areas to rescue all those still in captivity and apprehend the perpetrators.

Meanwhile, residents have renewed calls for stronger security around schools and other vulnerable public facilities, urging the government to strengthen surveillance, especially during public examinations, to prevent further attacks on students, teachers and examination officials.