The National Examinations Council (NECO) has dismissed allegations that Government Secondary School, Olowa, in Dekina Local Government Area of Kogi State is a “miracle centre”, following the abduction of students and officials during the ongoing 2026 Senior School Certificate Examination (SSCE).
The clarification comes after armed men attacked the school on Tuesday, kidnapping students, the school principal and a NECO ad hoc staff member while candidates were writing their examination.
Speaking after the incident, the Commanding Officer of the 21 Battalion of the Nigerian Army, Godiya Solomon Monde, alleged that the isolated school was known as a “miracle centre” for examination malpractice.
However, in a statement issued on Friday, NECO’s Acting Director of Information and Public Relations, Azeez Sani, rejected the allegation, saying the council strongly disagreed with comments describing the school as a centre for examination fraud.
NECO noted that Government Secondary School, Olowa, is a state-owned institution that has existed for more than 40 years and has presented candidates for the council’s Senior School Certificate Examination since 2000.
The examination body also confirmed that the school’s principal, Daniel Iyamaa, who was abducted during the attack, is a Grade Level 17 officer in the Kogi State Civil Service, while the kidnapped supervisor, Solomon Audu, is a Grade Level 12 teacher employed by the state government.
According to NECO, records show that the abducted candidates were duly registered students of the school presented for the 2026 SSCE by the Kogi State Government.
The council further stated that the 28 candidates registered by the school for the 2026 examination are bona fide students and not external candidates, contrary to suggestions that the school was operating as a “miracle centre”.
NECO also highlighted the school’s SSCE enrolment figures over the years, with 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 equally paid examination fees for 51 students of the school for the 2026 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE).
The council revealed that before the commencement of the 2026 SSCE, its Kogi State coordinator had written to security agencies requesting protection for examination centres following an earlier attack on Government Secondary School, Iluke, during the 2026 WASSCE.
NECO commended the Kogi State Government and security agencies for rescuing the remaining abductees after Governor Ahmed Ododo ordered a coordinated security operation.
Reaffirming its commitment to credible examinations, the council stressed that it maintains a zero-tolerance policy on examination malpractice and said reforms introduced under its Registrar and Chief Executive, Professor Dantani Ibrahim Wushishi, have significantly reduced malpractice cases over the past five years.
NECO also urged public officials and stakeholders to verify information before making statements capable of damaging the reputation of recognised educational institutions.
