NECO Rejects ‘Miracle Centre’ Label For Kogi School After Abduction Of Examination Officials, Candidates
The National Examinations Council (NECO) has rejected claims that Government Secondary School, Olowa, in Dekina Local Government Area of Kogi State, where five persons were abducted on Tuesday, is a “miracle centre.”
In a statement issued by its Acting Director of Information and Public Relations, Azeez Sani, the Council expressed sympathy to the victims and commended the Kogi State Government and security agencies for securing the release of the remaining four abductees.
However, NECO disagreed with comments attributed to the Kogi State Commissioner for Information and Communications, Kingsley Fanwo, who reportedly described the school as a “miracle centre.”
The Council said the school, which is 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.
According to NECO, the school’s principal, Elder Daniel Iyamaa, who was among those abducted, is a Grade Level 17 officer in the Kogi State Civil Service.
It also stated that the abducted examination supervisor, Solomon Audu, is a Grade Level 12 officer employed by the Kogi State Government and posted to Community Secondary School, Effin.
NECO said its records show that the abducted candidates are duly registered students of Government Secondary School, Olowa, who were presented for the 2026 NECO SSCE by the school in conjunction with the Kogi State Government.
The Council further stated that all 28 candidates registered by the school for the 2026 examination are bona fide students and not external candidates, contrary to the impression it said was created by the commissioner’s remarks.
It disclosed that the school’s NECO SSCE enrolment over the past five years stood at 21 candidates in 2021, 20 in 2022, 28 in 2023, 40 in 2024, and 20 in 2025.
NECO also noted that the Kogi State Government paid the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) fees for 51 candidates from the same school in the recently concluded 2026 examination.
The Council said its Kogi State Coordinator had, before the commencement of the 2026 NECO SSCE, written to security agencies in the state seeking enhanced security for examination centres.
It explained that the move was prompted by the terrorist attack on Government Secondary School, Iluke, in Ijumu Local Government Area during the 2026 WASSCE.
NECO reiterated its commitment to combating examination malpractice, stating that under the leadership of its Registrar and Chief Executive, Professor Dantani Ibrahim Wushishi, it has implemented reforms that have significantly reduced cases of examination malpractice over the past five years.
The Council urged public officials and other stakeholders to verify information before making public statements capable of undermining the reputation of institutions or causing unnecessary public anxiety.
