Kogi: Gunmen abduct principal, NECO official, students during examination

Gunmen have abducted the principal of Government Secondary School, Odo-Ekina, a National Examinations Council (NECO) ad hoc staff member and four students during the ongoing NECO examination in Dekina Local Government Area of Kogi State.

The attack occurred at about 5:25 p.m. on Tuesday while candidates were writing their examination, according to the Kogi State Police Command.

In a statement on Wednesday, the command’s spokesperson, ASP Salisu Oyiza, said the assailants invaded the school and whisked away the victims.

She disclosed that a joint team of police officers and other security agencies immediately launched a search-and-rescue operation.

According to her, 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.

“The Commissioner of Police, Naziru Kankarofi, alongside the Brigade Commander and the Kogi State Security Adviser, is proceeding to the scene for an on-the-spot assessment,” Oyiza said.

She added that the command would provide further updates as more verified information becomes available.

The latest incident comes days after suspected bandits abducted passengers travelling with the corpse of a Federal Road Safety Corps official, Augustine Ikwue, along the Ochadamu-Ejule Expressway in Kogi State.

The police said the attackers intercepted the vehicle conveying the deceased from Lokoja to Benue State for burial, abducted the occupants and fled into the bush.

Security operatives later recovered the abandoned vehicle and the casket, which was deposited at the Elemona Mortuary in Ejule, while rescue efforts for the abducted passengers remain ongoing.