The National Examinations Council (NECO) has dismissed allegations that the examination centre at Government Secondary School, Olowa, in the Dekina Local Government Area of Kogi State, where five persons were abducted on Tuesday, is a “miracle centre”.
In a statement, NECO’s spokesperson, Azeez Sani, expressed sympathy for the victims and commended the Kogi State Government and security agencies for securing the release of the remaining four abductees. However, he rejected claims by the Kogi State Commissioner for Information and Communications, Kingsley Fanwo, who reportedly described the school as an illegal examination centre.
Sani said the school, owned by the Kogi State Government, has existed for more than 40 years and has presented candidates for the NECO Senior School Certificate Examination (SSCE) since 2000.
He noted that the abducted principal, Elder Daniel Iyamaa, is a Grade Level 17 officer in the Kogi State Civil Service, while the kidnapped examination supervisor, Mr. Solomon Audu, is a Grade Level 12 teacher employed by the state government and posted to Community Secondary School, Effin.
According to NECO, records show that the abducted candidates are duly registered students of Government Secondary School, Olowa, presented for the 2026 NECO SSCE by the school in collaboration with the Kogi State Government.
The Council further stated that all 28 candidates registered by the school for the 2026 SSCE are bona fide students and not external candidates, contrary to the impression created by the Commissioner’s remarks.
NECO also released the school’s enrolment figures for the SSCE over the past five years:
- 2025 – 20 candidates
- 2024 – 40 candidates
- 2023 – 28 candidates
- 2022 – 20 candidates
- 2021 – 21 candidates
It added that the Kogi State Government paid the WAEC SSCE examination fees for 51 candidates from the same school during the recently concluded 2026 examination.
Sani explained that before the commencement of the 2026 NECO SSCE, the Council’s Kogi State Coordinator had written to security agencies requesting enhanced protection for examination centres across the state. He said the move followed a terrorist attack on Government Secondary School, Iluke, in Ijumu Local Government Area, during the 2026 WAEC SSCE.
He reaffirmed that NECO, under the leadership of Professor Dantani Ibrahim Wushishi, maintains a zero-tolerance policy on examination malpractice and has implemented reforms that have significantly reduced reported cases over the past five years.
The Council urged public officials and other stakeholders to verify information before making public statements that could damage the reputation of institutions or create unnecessary public anxiety.
