The National Examinations Council (NECO) has dismissed claims that Government Secondary School, Olowa, in Dekina Local Government Area of Kogi State, where students and examination officials were recently abducted, operates as a “miracle centre” for examination malpractice.
The clarification follows comments made after gunmen invaded the school on Tuesday while candidates were writing the ongoing Senior School Certificate Examination (SSCE), abducting students, the school principal and a NECO ad hoc staff member.
Speaking on the incident earlier, the Commanding Officer of the 21 Battalion of the Nigerian Army, Lt. Col. Godiya Solomon Monde, reportedly described the school as a centre associated with examination malpractice, alleging that it was popularly known as a “miracle centre.”
He said troops responding to a distress call encountered examination materials scattered around the premises after the attack.
However, NECO, in a statement issued on Friday by its Acting Director of Information and Public Relations, Azeez Sani, rejected the characterisation of the school and defended its record.
The council expressed sympathy to those affected by the abduction and commended the Kogi State Government and security agencies for efforts that led to the rescue of the victims.
NECO stated that Government Secondary School, Olowa, is a government-owned institution that has existed for over four decades and has consistently participated in the council’s examinations since 2000.
According to the examination body, the principal of the school, Daniel Iyamaa, who was among those abducted, is a senior civil servant on Grade Level 17 in the Kogi State Civil Service.
It also noted that the abducted examination supervisor, Solomon Audu, is a government employee serving on Grade Level 12 and posted to Community Secondary School, Effin.
The council further stated that all candidates presented by the school for the 2026 SSCE were duly registered students and not external candidates as suggested in some reports.
NECO said available records showed that the school registered 28 candidates for the 2026 examination and maintained a consistent record of participation in previous years.
The examination body disclosed that the school presented 21 candidates in 2021, 20 in 2022, 28 in 2023, 40 in 2024, 20 in 2025 and 28 candidates in 2026.
It added that the Kogi State Government also paid examination fees for 51 students of the school who sat for the 2026 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE).
The council stressed that the enrolment figures and registration records demonstrate that the students involved were legitimate candidates from the school.
NECO also revealed that ahead of the 2026 SSCE, its Kogi State coordinator had written to security agencies requesting additional protection for examination centres following a previous attack on Government Secondary School, Iluke, during the 2026 WASSCE.
Reaffirming its commitment to maintaining examination integrity, the council said it operates a strict zero-tolerance policy against malpractice and has implemented several reforms in recent years to strengthen examination credibility.
According to NECO, measures introduced under its Registrar and Chief Executive, Prof. Dantani Ibrahim Wushishi, have significantly reduced cases of examination malpractice nationwide.
The council urged public officials and stakeholders to verify facts before making public statements capable of damaging the reputation of educational institutions and examination bodies.