The National Examinations Council (NECO) has rejected
claims that Government Secondary School, Olowa, in Dekina Local Government Area
of Kogi State operates as a "miracle centre," following the recent
abduction of students and examination officials during the ongoing Senior
School Certificate Examination (SSCE).
The clarification comes after the Commanding Officer
of the 21 Battalion of the Nigerian Army, Lt. Col. Godiya Solomon Monde,
reportedly described the school as a centre for examination malpractice after
gunmen attacked the school on Tuesday, kidnapping students, the principal, and
a NECO ad hoc official.
In a statement issued on Friday, NECO's Acting
Director of Information and Public Relations, Azeez Sani, dismissed the
allegation, insisting that the school is a legitimate public institution with a
long history of participating in national examinations.
According to the council, Government Secondary School,
Olowa, is a state-owned school that has existed for more than 40 years and has
consistently presented candidates for the Senior School Certificate Examination
since 2000.
NECO also clarified that the abducted principal,
Daniel Iyamaa, is a Grade Level 17 officer in the Kogi State Civil Service,
while the kidnapped examination supervisor, Solomon Audu, is a Grade Level 12
state government employee.
The examination body further stated that the 28
candidates registered by the school for the 2026 SSCE are all bona fide
students of the institution and not external candidates, contrary to
suggestions that the school serves as a "miracle centre."
To support its position, NECO disclosed that the
school's enrolment for the SSCE has remained relatively consistent over the
years, recording 21 candidates in 2021, 20 in 2022, 28 in 2023, 40 in 2024, 20
in 2025, and 28 in 2026.
The council also revealed that the Kogi State
Government paid examination fees for 51 students of the school who sat for the
2026 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE).
Expressing sympathy to those affected by the attack,
NECO commended the Kogi State Government and security agencies for successfully
rescuing the remaining abductees following a coordinated security operation.
The council added that, before the commencement of the
2026 SSCE, it had requested enhanced security measures after an earlier attack
on Government Secondary School, Iluke, during the 2026 WASSCE.
Reaffirming its zero-tolerance policy on examination
malpractice, NECO said reforms introduced under its Registrar and Chief
Executive, Dantani Ibrahim Wushishi, have significantly reduced cases of
examination fraud in recent years.
The council urged public officials and other
stakeholders to verify facts before making public statements that could
unfairly damage the reputation of educational institutions.
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