Favour Ishember, Abuja
The National Examinations Council has dismissed claims linking Government Secondary School, Olowa in Dekina Local Government Area of Kogi State to a so-called “miracle examination centre.”
The denial follows comments made after five people were kidnapped at the school on Tuesday. Four of them have since been freed, thanks to joint efforts by the Kogi State Government and security operatives.
A press statement issued by Azeez Sani Ag. Director, Information and Public Relations, said, NECO commended both for the rescue operation and expressed sympathy for those affected.
However, the Council took issue with remarks by Kogi State Commissioner for Information and Communications, Hon. Kingsley Fanwo, who labeled the school a “miracle centre.”
The statement explains that the school is owned by the Kogi State Government, has operated for more than 40 years, and has been fielding candidates for the NECO Senior School Certificate Examination since 2000.
The Principal, Elder Daniel Iyamaa, a Grade Level 17 officer in the Kogi State Civil Service, was among those abducted.
The supervisor, Mr. Solomon Audu, a Grade Level 12 officer employed by the Kogi State Government, is posted to Community Secondary School, Effin.
According to the statement, the students who were taken were properly registered pupils of Government Secondary School, Olowa. They were entered for the 2026 NECO SSCE by the school in partnership with the Kogi State Government.
A total of 28 candidates were registered for the 2026 SSCE from the school. NECO confirmed they are regular students, not external candidates, contrary to the impression given by the Commissioner, the statement said.
Giving records of past enrolment data, the statement said, NECO’s records show the school’s SSCE entries over the last five years:2025– 20 candidates, 2024 – 40 candidates, 2023– 28 candidates, 2022 – 20 candidates, and 2021 – 21 candidates.
WAEC Fees: For the just-concluded 2026 WAEC SSCE, the Kogi State Government paid exam fees for 51 candidates from the same school.
On security Measures, the statement explains that before the 2026 NECO SSCE began, the NECO State Coordinator in Kogi wrote to security agencies seeking support for a peaceful exam. The request followed a recent attack on Government Secondary School, Iluke in Ijumu LGA during the 2026 WAEC exams.
The statement reads in part, “Under the leadership of Professor Dantani Ibrahim Wushishi, NECO reiterated its zero-tolerance policy on exam malpractice. The Council said it has rolled out major reforms over the last five years, resulting in a sharp drop in reported malpractice cases.
NECO urged public officials and stakeholders to confirm facts before making statements that could damage an institution’s reputation or cause public panic.
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