The National Examinations Council (NECO) has dismissed allegations that Government Secondary School, Olowa, in Dekina Local Government Area of Kogi State, operates as a ‘miracle examination centre’ for exam malpractice, describing the claim as false and misleading.
NECO’s Director of Information and Public Relations, Azeez Sani, said the Council expressed sympathy for the victims of Tuesday’s abduction at the examination centre and commended the Kogi State Government and security agencies for securing the release of the remaining four victims.
However, the body disagreed with comments attributed to the Kogi State Commissioner for Information and Communications, Kingsley Fanwo, who reportedly described the school as a ‘miracle centre,’ a popular parlance for an examination centre where malpractice is encouraged.
The Council said Government Secondary School, Olowa, is a long-established public institution owned by the Kogi State Government and has been presenting candidates for the NECO Senior School Certificate Examination (SSCE) since 2000.
According to NECO, the school’s principal, who was among those abducted, is a Grade Level 17 officer in the Kogi State Civil Service, while the kidnapped examination supervisor is a Grade Level 12 officer employed by the state government and posted to Community Secondary School, Effin.
NECO also stated that available records confirm that the abducted candidates were duly registered pupils of Government Secondary School, Olowa, who were presented for the 2026 NECO SSCE by the school in conjunction with the Kogi State Government.
The Council further clarified that the 28 candidates registered by the school for the 2026 SSCE are bona fide pupils and not external candidates.
To support its position, NECO released the school’s SSCE enrollment figures over the past five years, which include 20 candidates in 2025, 40 candidates in 2024, 28 candidates in 2023, 20 candidates in 2022, and 21 candidates in 2021.
The Council also alleged that the Kogi State Government paid the examination fees for 51 candidates from the same school during the recently concluded 2026 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE).
NECO explained that before the commencement of the 2026 SSCE, its Kogi State coordinator had written to security agencies in the state, requesting adequate security to ensure the smooth conduct of the examination.
It also said the move was prompted by the earlier terrorist attack on Government Secondary School, Iluke, in Ijumu Local Government Area during the 2026 WASSCE.
Reaffirming its commitment to maintaining examination standards, the Council said it operates a zero-tolerance policy against examination malpractice under the leadership of its Registrar and Chief Executive, Dantani Wushishi.
According to the statement, a series of reforms introduced by the Council have significantly reduced incidents of examination malpractice over the past five years and strengthened the credibility of its examinations nationwide.
NECO urged public officials and other stakeholders to verify facts before making public statements that could damage the reputation of institutions or create unnecessary public anxiety.
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