Suspected b@ndits have abd¥cted the principal of Government Secondary School, Opada-Olowa, a NECO supervisor, and four students after invading the school in Dekina Local Government Area of Kogi State during an ongoing NECO examination.
The att@ck reportedly occurred around 2 p.m. on Tuesday as students were writing their examination. According to residents, the heavily armed g¥nmen stormed the community, firing sporadically before making their way into the school.
A community leader, Sunday Alkali, said the att@ckers initially retreated after noticing many residents outside but later returned, sh%%ting indiscriminately and forcing everyone to flee. It was only after the g¥nfire stopped that residents discovered the school had been att@cked, with examination papers scattered across classrooms and the school premises.
The abd¥cted victims were identified as the school principal, Nyada Daniel, NECO supervisor Solomon Audu, and four students. Residents noted that the number of kidn@pped students could have been higher if more candidates had been sitting for the examination at the time.
The kidn@ppers were said to have contacted some of the victims’ families, demanding huge ransom payments for their release.
Confirming the incident, the Kogi State Police Command said the principal, a NECO ad hoc staff member, and four students were abducted while the examination was in progress. The command disclosed that a joint team of security agencies immediately launched a search-and-rescue operation.
Police spokesperson, ASP Saliu Oyiza Afusat, said one of the abd¥cted students has been rescued, while efforts are ongoing to secure the release of the remaining victims and apprehend those responsible.
