NECO Defends Kogi School After Abduction, Rejects ‘Miracle Centre’ Allegation

NECO Defends Kogi School After Abduction, Rejects ‘Miracle Centre’ Allegation

NECO Clears Kogi School of Exam Fraud Claims After Abduction of Students, Officials

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The National Examinations Council (NECO) has dismissed allegations that Government Secondary School, Olowa, in Dekina Local Government Area of Kogi State operates as a "miracle centre", insisting the school is a longstanding public institution with a verifiable record of presenting legitimate candidates for its examinations.

The clarification follows Tuesday's abduction of students, the school principal and a NECO ad hoc staff member by gunmen who invaded the school while candidates were sitting the ongoing 2026 Senior School Certificate Examination (SSCE).

The attack sparked controversy after Lt. Col. Godiya Solomon Monde, Commanding Officer of the 21 Battalion of the Nigerian Army, reportedly described the school as a centre notorious for examination malpractice.

Monde said soldiers responding to a distress call found examination papers scattered across the premises and claimed the school had been "tagged as a miracle centre."

However, in a statement issued on Friday, NECO's Acting Director of Information and Public Relations, Azeez Sani, strongly rejected the allegation, describing Government Secondary School, Olowa, as a state-owned institution that has operated for over four decades and has consistently presented candidates for the council's SSCE since 2000.

The examination body also disagreed with comments attributed to Kogi State Commissioner for Information and Communications, Kingsley Fanwo, which it said created the impression that the school was involved in examination malpractice.

NECO expressed sympathy to those affected by the abduction and commended the Kogi State Government and security agencies for securing the release of the remaining four abductees through a coordinated rescue operation.

According to the council, the abducted principal, Daniel Iyamaa, is a Grade Level 17 officer in the Kogi State Civil Service, while the kidnapped examination supervisor, Solomon Audu, is a Grade Level 12 civil servant posted to Community Secondary School, Effin.

The council maintained that the abducted students were duly registered candidates presented by Government Secondary School, Olowa, in collaboration with the Kogi State Government.

It further clarified that all 28 candidates registered by the school for the 2026 NECO SSCE were bona fide students and not external candidates, contrary to suggestions that the school served as a hub for examination malpractice.

To reinforce its position, NECO released the school's recent enrolment figures, showing it presented 21 candidates in 2021, 20 in 2022, 28 in 2023, 40 in 2024, 20 in 2025 and 28 in 2026. It added that the Kogi State Government also paid examination fees for 51 candidates from the school for the 2026 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE).

The council also disclosed that before the commencement of the 2026 SSCE, its Kogi State coordinator had formally requested additional security from relevant agencies following an earlier attack on Government Secondary School, Iluke, in Ijumu Local Government Area during the 2026 WASSCE.

Reaffirming its commitment to credible examinations, NECO said it maintains a zero-tolerance policy on examination malpractice, noting that reforms introduced under its Registrar and Chief Executive, Prof. Dantani Ibrahim Wushishi, have significantly reduced malpractice cases over the past five years.

The council urged public officials and stakeholders to verify information before making public statements capable of damaging the reputation of educational institutions.