Gunmen invade Kogi School; abduct principal, NECO official, students during examination

Gunmen on Tuesday evening stormed Government Secondary School, Odo-Ekina, in Dekina Local Government Area of Kogi State, abducting the school principal, a National Examinations Council (NECO) ad hoc official and four students who were sitting the ongoing NECO examination.

The attack, which occurred at about 5:25 p.m., disrupted the examination and triggered an immediate security response, according to the Kogi State Police Command.

Confirming the incident on Wednesday, the Police Public Relations Officer, ASP Salisu Oyiza, disclosed that one of the abducted students had been rescued, while the principal, the NECO official and three other students remained in captivity.

“During the incident, four students, the school principal and one NECO ad hoc staff member were abducted by the attackers,” Oyiza said.

He added that a joint team comprising the police and other security agencies swiftly launched a search-and-rescue operation and was actively pursuing the gunmen.

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“A combined team of the police and other security agencies immediately launched a search-and-rescue operation and is currently on the trail of the assailants,” he stated.

The police spokesman assured residents that security operatives were intensifying efforts to secure the release of the remaining victims and bring the perpetrators to justice.

According to him, the Commissioner of Police in Kogi State, Naziru Kankarofi, alongside the Brigade Commander and the State Security Adviser, was expected to visit the school for an on-the-spot assessment of the situation.

He noted that additional information would be made public as investigations progressed and more verified facts became available.

The latest school abduction has heightened concerns over the safety of students and examination officials, particularly as candidates across the country continue to sit for the ongoing NECO examinations.

The incident also comes barely a week after another violent attack by suspected kidnappers in Kogi State.

On July 9, armed men reportedly intercepted a Hummer bus conveying the remains of a Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) official, Augustine Ikwue, from Lokoja to Otukpo in Benue State for burial.

The attackers struck along the Ochadamu-Ejule Expressway, forcing passengers into the surrounding bush before fleeing the scene.

Following the attack, a combined security team made up of police officers, soldiers, members of the Vigilante Group of Nigeria and community policing operatives launched a rescue operation.

The abandoned bus and the casket containing the deceased official’s remains were later recovered and deposited at the Elemona Mortuary in Ejule, while efforts continue to rescue the abducted passengers and apprehend the kidnappers

The successive attacks have renewed concerns over rising insecurity in parts of Kogi State, with residents calling for stronger security measures to protect schools, highways and rural communities from criminal gangs.