Gunmen Storm Kogi School During NECO Exam, Abduct Principal, Invigilator and Students

Panic swept through Opada-Olowa community in Dekina Local Government Area of Kogi State on Tuesday after suspected bandits invaded a secondary school during an ongoing National Examinations Council (NECO) examination and whisked away the school principal, an examination official and several students.

The brazen attack, which occurred in broad daylight, disrupted the examination exercise at Government Secondary School, Opada-Olowa, leaving classrooms deserted and examination materials strewn across the school premises.

Witnesses said the armed men arrived in the community at about 2 p.m., firing gunshots into the air to create fear and confusion before advancing toward the school.

A community leader, Sunday Alkali, recounted the tense moments, explaining that residents were going about their normal activities when the attackers suddenly appeared.

According to him, the gunmen initially seemed reluctant to proceed after noticing many people gathered outdoors. However, they later returned in greater force and began shooting indiscriminately, forcing residents to run for cover.

The motive of the attackers was initially unclear, residents said, until community members later discovered that the school had been targeted.

"When calm returned, some residents went to the school and found examination papers scattered everywhere. The students and school authorities were nowhere to be found, and that was when we realised people had been taken away," a resident disclosed.

The abducted victims were identified as the school's principal, Mr. Nyada Daniel, a NECO supervisor, Mr. Solomon Audu, and four students who were participating in the examination at the time of the attack.

Residents noted that the number of students kidnapped could have been significantly higher if the examination had involved a major compulsory subject. They explained that only a small group of candidates was sitting for Literature in English when the gunmen struck.

Sources within the community further revealed that the kidnappers allegedly established contact with relatives of some victims hours after the abduction, demanding substantial ransom payments in exchange for their release.

According to community leaders, at least four affected families received calls from the abductors on Tuesday evening, with demands running into large sums of money.

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The incident triggered an immediate security response, with personnel from the Nigerian Army, Police Force, local vigilante groups and hunters launching a coordinated search operation across nearby forests and surrounding communities.

Security operatives were reported to have intensified efforts throughout the night in a bid to locate the victims and apprehend the perpetrators.

Confirming the attack, the Kogi State Police Command said the armed assailants invaded the school while the NECO examination was underway and abducted the principal, an examination official and four students.

Police Public Relations Officer, ASP Saliu Oyiza Afusat, disclosed that a joint rescue mission involving multiple security agencies was swiftly activated following reports of the incident.

She revealed that one of the abducted students had already been rescued, while operations were continuing to secure the freedom of the remaining victims.

Afusat also stated that the Commissioner of Police in Kogi State, CP Naziru Bello Kankarofi, alongside the Brigade Commander and the State Security Adviser, was heading to the community to assess the situation and coordinate further security measures.

The police spokesperson assured residents that efforts were being intensified to track down the kidnappers and bring them to justice, adding that further updates would be provided as investigations progress.

The latest attack has deepened fears among residents, who say insecurity has continued to worsen in the area. Community members recalled that a farmer was recently killed on his farmland, an incident that heightened tensions and fueled concerns over the growing activities of criminal elements in the region.

The school attack has once again raised questions about the safety of students, teachers and examination officials, particularly in rural communities increasingly vulnerable to armed attacks and kidnappings.