Kogi Police: Abducted NECO Candidates Were Writing Exams at Illegal ‘Miracle Centre’

The Kogi State Police Command has revealed that the examination centre where four persons were abducted during the ongoing National Examinations Council (NECO) examination was allegedly operating as an illegal "miracle centre" inside an abandoned Government Secondary School in Olowa, Dekina Local Government Area.

The command disclosed this as it intensified a multi-agency rescue operation to secure the release of the abducted victims and arrest those responsible for the attack.

The victims have been identified as the Principal of Government Secondary School, Olowa, Elder Daniel Iyanaa; a NECO official, Mr. Solomon Audu; and two female candidates, Dorcas Sunday and another candidate identified simply as Dorcas.

Speaking on the incident, the Police Public Relations Officer in Kogi State, ASP Saliu Oyiza Afusat, said the gunmen struck while 10 candidates were sitting for the ongoing NECO examination at the abandoned school premises.

Following the attack, the Commissioner of Police, CP Naziru Bello Kankarofi, immediately ordered the deployment of tactical and operational teams to the area to begin rescue operations.

The police commissioner later visited the scene alongside the Commander of the 12 Brigade, Nigerian Army, Lokoja, Brigadier General Kasim Sidi, and the Kogi State Security Adviser, Commander Jerry Omodara (Rtd.), to assess the situation and coordinate ongoing security efforts.

According to the police, preliminary investigations revealed that the school had previously been shut down by the Kogi State Government because of its remote location and the security risks associated with the area.

Despite the closure, the command said the abandoned facility was allegedly being used illegally as a special examination centre for the ongoing NECO examination.

Investigators are also examining allegations that some individuals facilitated the use of the abandoned school despite its official closure by the state government.

The police further disclosed that the classroom where the examination was conducted had allegedly become notorious for examination malpractice.

"The command is investigating claims that the classroom where the examination was conducted had become notorious for examination malpractice," the police said.

Describing the facility as a "miracle centre," the command warned that anyone found to have participated in the illegal operation of the examination centre or any examination malpractice would be prosecuted in accordance with the law.

Meanwhile, additional security personnel have been deployed to the area, with combined teams drawn from the Nigeria Police Force, the Nigerian Army, local vigilantes, hunters and other security stakeholders carrying out intensive bush-combing and intelligence-driven operations to locate the abducted victims.

The Police Command assured residents that all available operational resources are being deployed to ensure the safe rescue of the victims while investigations continue into both the kidnapping and the circumstances surrounding the operation of the alleged illegal examination centre.

It also appealed to members of the public to remain calm, cooperate with security agencies by providing credible information and refrain from spreading unverified reports that could undermine the ongoing rescue operation.