By Ngozi Nwankwo
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.
In a statement issued on Friday by the Acting Director of Information and Public Relations, Azeez Sani, the Council said the school is a legitimate public institution owned by the Kogi State Government and has presented candidates for the NECO Senior School Certificate Examination,SSCE, since 2000.
The clarification follows comments reportedly made by the Kogi State Commissioner for Information and Communications, Kingsley Fanwo, after five persons, including examination officials and candidates, were abducted at the school on Tuesday.
While sympathising with the victims and commending the Kogi State Government and security agencies for securing the release of the remaining four abductees, NECO said it strongly disagreed with the commissioner’s description of the school as a “miracle centre.”
According to the Council, Government Secondary School, Olowa, has existed for more than 40 years and has consistently presented genuine students for its examinations.
NECO stated that the school’s principal, Elder Daniel Iyamaa, who was among those abducted, is a Grade Level 17 officer in the Kogi State Civil Service. It added that the kidnapped examination supervisor, Solomon Audu, is a Grade Level 12 officer employed by the state government and posted to Community Secondary School, Effin.
The Council also maintained that all 28 candidates registered by the school for the 2026 NECO SSCE are bona fide students of the institution and not external candidates, contrary to the impression created by the commissioner’s remarks.
It noted that the school’s enrolment for the SSCE over the past five years demonstrates a consistent record of participation, with 21 candidates in 2021, 20 in 2022, 28 in 2023, 40 in 2024 and 20 in 2025.
NECO further disclosed that the Kogi State Government paid the examination fees for 51 candidates from the same school for the recently concluded 2026 West African Senior School Certificate Examination,WASSCE.
The Council also revealed that, ahead of the 2026 SSCE, its Kogi State Coordinator had formally sought the support of security agencies to ensure the smooth conduct of the examination. It said the move was necessitated by an earlier terrorist attack on Government Secondary School, Iluke, in Ijumu Local Government Area during the 2026 WAEC examination.
Reaffirming its commitment to the credibility of public examinations, NECO said it operates a zero-tolerance policy on examination malpractice and has implemented reforms that have significantly reduced malpractice cases over the past five years.
The Council urged public officials and other stakeholders to verify facts before making public statements that could damage the reputation of institutions or create unnecessary public concern.
