National Examinations Council, NECO, has denied the allegation that the examination centre at Government Secondary School, Olowa, Dekina Local Government Area of Kogi State, North-Central Nigeria where five persons were abducted on Tuesday, is a “miracle centre.”
While sympathising with the victims, the Council commends the Kogi State Government and security agencies for their coordinated efforts which has led to the safe escue of the remaining four victims from captivity,
In a statement by NECO spokesperson, Azeez Sani says the council strongly disagrees with the statement credited to the Kogi State Commissioner for Information and Communications, Kingsley Fanwo, who described the school as a “miracle centre.”
NECO says to set the record straight, the school which is owned by the Kogi State Government, has been in existence for over 40 years and has been presenting candidates for the NECO Senior School Certificate Examination, SSCE, since the year 2000.
Furthermore, it says the principal of the school, Daniel Iyamaa, who was among those abducted, is a Grade Level 17 officer in the Kogi State Civil Service, the kidnapped supervisor, Solomon Audu, is a Grade Level 12 officer employed by the Kogi State Government and posted to the Community Secondary School, Effin.
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NECO argued that vailable 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 and indicated that the 28 candidates registered by the school for the 2026 SSCE are bona fide students and not external candidates, contrary to the impression created by Commissioner Kingsley Fanwo.
NECO further explains that over the past five years, the school had 20 candidates registered in 2025, 40 in 2024, 28 in 2023, 20 in 2022 and 21 in 2021.
NECO used the statement to commend the Kogi State Government in the recently concluded 2026 WAEC SSCE, for paying the examination fees for 51 candidates in the same school.
It is also pertinent to note that the NECO State Coordinator in Kogi State had, prior to the commencement of the 2026 SSCE, written to and solicited the support and cooperation of security agencies in the state to ensure the smooth conduct of the examination. This proactive step was informed by the unfortunate terrorist attack on Government Secondary School, Iluke, in Ijumu Local Government Area during the 2026 WAEC Senior School Certificate Examination.
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(Editor: Terverr Tyav)
