The Kogi State Government has announced the rescue of the four persons abducted during Tuesday’s attack on an illegal National Examinations Council (NECO) examination centre at Government Secondary School, Olowa, in Dekina Local Government Area, in what authorities describe as another major breakthrough in the fight against kidnapping.
The victims – a school principal, a NECO official and two students – were freed following a coordinated multi-agency security operation launched on the directive of Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo.
The rescue comes as the National Examinations Council (NECO) has dismissed allegations that Government Secondary School, Olowa, in Dekina Local Government Area of Kogi State is a “miracle examination centre,” describing the claim as false, baseless and misleading.
The allegation followed comments reportedly made by the Kogi State Commissioner for Information and Communications, Kingsley Fanwo, after five persons, including the school principal, an examination supervisor and students, were abducted during the ongoing 2026 Senior School Certificate Examination (SSCE).
Confirming the rescue in a statement issued in Lokoja on Thursday, the Commissioner for Information and Communications, Kingsley Femi Fanwo, described the operation as a significant victory in the state’s sustained campaign against criminality.
According to him, Governor Ododo immediately directed the State Security Adviser, retired Commander Jerry Omodara, to coordinate a rescue mission involving the Nigerian Army, the Department of State Services (DSS), the Nigeria Police Force and local security operatives.
Fanwo said the combined security team, working with the 12 Brigade and 21 Battalion of the Nigerian Army, mounted sustained operations deep inside the forest where the victims were believed to have been held.
He said the intense pressure mounted by security forces forced the kidnappers to abandon their captives and flee, leading to the victims’ safe rescue.
Earlier on Thursday, while inspecting newly acquired Armoured Personnel Carriers procured by the state government to strengthen security operations, Governor Ododo had assured residents that every effort was being made to secure the victims’ release.
“The school principal, the NECO official and the two students have all been rescued safely. They are hale and hearty and are currently with security agencies for debriefing and necessary medical checks,” Fanwo said.
He added that security personnel had remained in the forest to track down the fleeing kidnappers and ensure they are brought to justice.
The commissioner commended the Nigerian Army, DSS, Police, local vigilantes and other security agencies for what he described as exemplary professionalism, courage and effective inter-agency collaboration.
He also expressed the state’s appreciation to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for directing security agencies to provide the necessary support that facilitated the successful rescue operation.
Fanwo reaffirmed the Ododo administration’s commitment to eliminating criminal elements from the state through sustained investment in intelligence gathering, security logistics and coordinated operations.
The rescue comes amid a string of successful anti-kidnapping operations by security agencies across parts of the North Central region. In neighbouring Kwara State, police operatives recently rescued an abducted woman and her two-year-old son from a forest hideout in Bode Sadu after an intelligence-led operation by the Force Intelligence Department, Intelligence Response Team (FID-IRT), while security agencies have continued clearance operations against kidnapping gangs in the state.
The latest operations underscore the increasing reliance on intelligence-driven and joint security interventions to combat kidnapping and violent crime across the region.
Gunmen had invaded the examination centre on Tuesday, abducting the principal, the NECO official and two students, prompting the Kogi State Government to launch an intensive rescue operation that culminated in their safe recovery.
NECO Denies ‘Miracle Centre’ Claim Against Kogi School
In a statement issued on Friday, NECO’s Director of Information and Public Relations, Azeez Sani, sympathised with the victims and commended the Kogi State Government and security agencies for rescuing the remaining four abductees.
Sani said Government Secondary School, Olowa, is a legitimate public school that has existed for over 40 years and has presented candidates for NECO examinations since 2000. He added that the abducted principal and examination supervisor are Kogi State Government employees, while the abducted students were duly registered candidates of the school.
According to NECO, all 28 candidates presented by the school for the 2026 SSCE are bona fide students, not external candidates. The Council also noted that the Kogi State Government paid WAEC examination fees for 51 candidates from the same school earlier this year.
NECO said it had requested enhanced security before the examination following an earlier attack on Government Secondary School, Iluke, during the 2026 WAEC examination.
Reaffirming its zero tolerance for examination malpractice, the Council said reforms introduced under its Registrar and Chief Executive, Professor Dantani Ibrahim Wushishi, have significantly reduced malpractice nationwide. It urged public officials to verify facts before making statements capable of damaging the reputation of institutions or causing unnecessary public anxiety.