The National Examinations Council (NECO) has dismissed claims that Government Secondary School, Olowa, in Dekina Local Government Area of Kogi State is a “miracle examination centre,” describing the allegation as false, baseless and misleading.
NECO’s position follows comments reportedly made by the Kogi State Commissioner for Information and Communications, Kingsley Fanwo, after five persons, including a school principal, examination supervisor and students, were abducted during the ongoing Senior School Certificate Examination (SSCE) on Tuesday.
In a statement issued on Friday in Minna, the Council’s Director of Information and Public Relations, Mallam Azeez Sani, said NECO sympathised with the victims and commended the Kogi State Government and security agencies for securing the rescue of the remaining four abductees.
However, he rejected the description of the school as a “miracle centre,” insisting that the institution is a legitimate public secondary school with a long-standing record of presenting candidates for NECO examinations.
According to him, Government Secondary School, Olowa, has existed for more than 40 years and has participated in the NECO Senior School Certificate Examination since 2000.
He explained that the abducted principal, Elder Daniel Iyamaa, is a Grade Level 17 officer in the Kogi State Civil Service, while the kidnapped examination supervisor, Mr. Solomon Audu, is a Grade Level 12 officer employed by the state government and posted to Community Secondary School, Effin.
Sani further stated that NECO’s records confirmed that the abducted students were duly registered candidates of Government Secondary School, Olowa, presented for the 2026 SSCE by the school in collaboration with the Kogi State Government.
He added that all 28 candidates registered by the school for the 2026 examination are bona fide students and not external candidates, contrary to the impression created by the commissioner’s remarks.
To support its position, the Council released the school’s NECO enrolment figures over the last five years: 21 candidates in 2021, 20 in 2022, 28 in 2023, 40 in 2024, 20 in 2025, and 28 candidates registered for the 2026 examination.
NECO also disclosed that the Kogi State Government paid the WAEC examination fees for 51 candidates from the same school in the recently concluded 2026 Senior School Certificate Examination.
The Council noted that before the commencement of the 2026 NECO SSCE, its Kogi State Coordinator had written to security agencies requesting enhanced security to ensure the smooth conduct of the examination.
It said the precautionary measure was informed by an earlier terrorist attack on Government Secondary School, Iluke, in Ijumu Local Government Area, during the 2026 WAEC examination.
Reaffirming its commitment to credible examinations, NECO said it maintains zero tolerance for examination malpractice and has introduced sweeping reforms under the leadership of its Registrar and Chief Executive, Professor Dantani Ibrahim Wushishi.
According to the Council, the reforms have significantly reduced incidents of examination malpractice across the country over the past five years.
NECO urged public officials and other stakeholders to verify facts before making public statements capable of damaging the reputation of institutions or causing unnecessary public anxiety.