Politics
Gunmen abduct Kogi school principal, NECO official, four students
ANOTHER public examination in Nigeria has been disrupted by armed men who invaded a secondary school in Kogi State and abducted the principal, a National Examinations Council (NECO) ad-hoc official and four students.
The attack occurred on Tuesday at Government Secondary School, Odo-Ekina, in Dekina Local Government Area while candidates were writing the ongoing Senior School Certificate Examination, according to the Kogi State Police Command.
The command confirmed the incident on Wednesday, July 15, saying the attack occurred around 5:25 p.m. while candidates were writing the examination.
The Police Public Relations Officer, Salisu Oyiza, said the attackers invaded the school and whisked away the principal, the NECO official and four students.
She said security operatives immediately launched a joint search-and-rescue operation involving the police and other security agencies.
According to Oyiza, one of the abducted students has since been rescued, while efforts are ongoing to secure the release of the remaining victims and apprehend the attackers.
She added that the Commissioner of Police in Kogi State, Naziru Kankarofi, alongside the Commander of the 12 Brigade of the Nigerian Army and the state’s Security Adviser, had proceeded to the affected community for an on-the-spot assessment.
The latest attack comes barely five weeks after armed men invaded Government Secondary School, Iluke Bunu, in Kabba-Bunu Local Government Area of the state during the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE).
Three people, including the school’s vice principal, were killed during the attack, while residents alleged that some students were whisked away.
The ICIR also reported that on June 29, suspected fighters of the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) attacked Government Day Secondary School in Lassa, Askira/Uba Local Government Area of Borno State during the ongoing NECO examination and abducted an unspecified number of students.
Although troops of Operation Hadin Kai later rescued 10 of the victims following a gun battle with the attackers, security agencies continued efforts to locate others who remained in captivity.
The renewed attack in Kogi adds to growing concerns over the safety of schools across Nigeria, despite repeated assurances by the Federal Government that security around educational institutions has been strengthened.
In recent months, schools in Borno, Oyo and Kogi states have come under attack, with pupils, students and teachers abducted or killed during learning activities and public examinations.
The attacks also followed nationwide protests by the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT), which demanded stronger protection for schools after the abduction of pupils and teachers in Oyo and Borno states.
The ICIR reports that more than a decade after the 2014 Chibok schoolgirls’ abduction drew global attention to attacks on schools, educational institutions in parts of Nigeria continue to face threats from terrorists and armed criminal groups.
Between 2014 and 2025, over 1,000 students were abducted from schools across the country in mass kidnapping incidents, including the Chibok, Dapchi, Kankara, Jangebe, Kuriga and Papiri school abductions.
Mustapha Usman is an investigative journalist with the International Centre for Investigative Reporting. You can easily reach him via: musman@icirnigeria.com. He tweets @UsmanMustapha_M
