By Kwin Israel, The Sight News
The National Examinations Council (NECO) has dismissed allegations that Government Secondary School, Olowa, in Dekina Local Government Area of Kogi State, operates as a “miracle examination centre,” describing the claim as false and misleading.
The Council, in a statement issued on Friday by its Acting Director of Information and Public Relations, Azeez Sani, said the school, where five persons were abducted during the ongoing 2026 Senior School Certificate Examination (SSCE), is a legitimate public institution that has presented candidates for NECO examinations since 2000.
NECO expressed sympathy for the victims of the abduction and commended the Kogi State Government and security agencies for their efforts, which led to the rescue of the remaining four victims. However, it faulted comments reportedly made by the Kogi State Commissioner for Information and Communications, Kingsley Fanwo, describing the school as a “miracle centre.”
According to the Council, Government Secondary School, Olowa, has existed for more than 40 years and is owned by the Kogi State Government. It noted that the abducted principal, Elder Daniel Iyamaa, is a Grade Level 17 officer in the state civil service, while the kidnapped examination supervisor, Solomon Audu, is a Grade Level 12 officer employed by the state government and posted to Community Secondary School, Effin.
NECO further stated that all 28 candidates registered by the school for the 2026 SSCE are bona fide students of the institution and not external candidates, contrary to the impression created by the Commissioner’s remarks.
The Council also provided the school’s SSCE enrolment figures over the last five years, showing that it presented 21 candidates in 2021, 20 in 2022, 28 in 2023, 40 in 2024, and 20 in 2025. It added that the Kogi State Government also paid the examination fees of 51 candidates from the same school for the 2026 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE).
Highlighting its commitment to the security of examination personnel and candidates, NECO disclosed that before the commencement of the 2026 SSCE, its Kogi State Coordinator had written to security agencies in the state, requesting enhanced protection for examination centres. The move, it explained, followed the terrorist attack on Government Secondary School, Iluke, in Ijumu Local Government Area during the 2026 WASSCE.
The Council reiterated that under the leadership of its Registrar and Chief Executive, Professor Dantani Ibrahim Wushishi, it has maintained a zero-tolerance policy on examination malpractice, introducing reforms that have significantly reduced reported cases over the past five years.
NECO therefore urged public officials and other stakeholders to verify information before making public statements capable of damaging the reputation of institutions or creating unnecessary public anxiety.
