Kogi deploys technology, security forces in race to rescue abducted NECO victims

By Ezurike Ugochukwu

The Kogi State Government has launched a coordinated security operation involving advanced surveillance technology and multiple security agencies to secure the release of four persons abducted during the ongoing National Examinations Council (NECO) examinations at Government Secondary School, Olowa, in Dekina Local Government Area.

The operation, ordered by Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo and coordinated by the State Security Adviser, retired Commander Jerry Omodara, brings together personnel of the Nigerian Army, the Nigeria Police Force, the Department of State Services (DSS), the Kogi State Vigilante Service, local hunters and other intelligence outfits in what officials described as a determined effort to rescue the victims and apprehend their abductors.

The victims include the school’s Principal, Elder Daniel Iyanaa; a NECO official, Mr. Solomon Audu; and two female examination candidates, one identified as Miss Dorcas Sunday, while the surname of the second candidate, also identified as Dorcas, is yet to be confirmed.

The victims were kidnapped on Tuesday when armed men invaded the examination centre during the ongoing NECO examinations, sparking renewed concerns over the security of schools and examination centres in parts of the country.

Commissioner for Information and Communications, Kingsley Fanwo, disclosed in a statement on Wednesday that five persons were initially abducted, but one victim has since regained freedom, leaving four still in captivity.

According to him, security agencies have intensified search-and-rescue operations, with advanced technology deployed to support intelligence gathering and tracking of the kidnappers.

He said early reports from the ongoing operation were encouraging, although the government declined to disclose operational details that could compromise the rescue mission.

“Governor Ododo has directed all security and intelligence agencies to spare no effort in ensuring the safe rescue of the victims and the arrest of those behind the attack,” Fanwo said.

The commissioner disclosed that preliminary investigations revealed that the examination centre, located in a remote community, was allegedly being used as a “miracle centre” for external candidates.

He noted that the two abducted female candidates were not regular students of Government Secondary School, Olowa, and that the examination arrangements at the centre did not conform to the security framework established by the state government to protect candidates writing the NECO examinations across Kogi.

Fanwo, however, stressed that the circumstances surrounding the examination centre would not diminish the government’s responsibility to protect every resident and visitor within the state.

“The victims are our people, and the government will spare no effort in ensuring their safe rescue while bringing those responsible to justice,” he said.

He urged residents of Olowa and neighbouring communities to cooperate with security agencies by providing credible and timely information that could aid the rescue operation.

The latest abduction has again highlighted growing concerns over insecurity around educational institutions, even as governments at both state and federal levels continue efforts to strengthen security during public examinations.

The Kogi State Government reaffirmed its commitment to safeguarding lives and property, assuring families of the victims that every available resource was being deployed until those abducted are safely reunited with their loved ones.