The National Examinations Council has dismissed claims that Government Secondary School, Olowa, in Dekina Local Government Area of Kogi State, operates as a “miracle examination centre,” insisting that the school is a legitimate public institution with a long record of presenting candidates for public examinations.
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NECO’s clarification followed comments reportedly made by the Kogi State Commissioner for Information and Communications, Kingsley Fanwo, after the abduction of five persons at the school during the ongoing 2026 NECO Senior Secondary Certificate Examination.
In a statement issued on Thursday by its Acting Director of Information and Public Relations, Azeez Sani, NECO rejected the description of the school as a miracle centre, saying the claim was inaccurate and capable of misleading the public.
While expressing sympathy for the abducted victims and commending the Kogi State Government and security agencies for securing the rescue of the remaining four abductees, the Council maintained that Government Secondary School, Olowa, is owned by the Kogi State Government and has existed for more than 40 years.
NECO said the school has consistently presented candidates for its SSCE since 2000, adding that its status as a legitimate examination centre is not in doubt.
The examination body also clarified that the school principal, Elder Daniel Iyamaa, who was among those abducted, is a Grade Level 17 officer in the Kogi State Civil Service.
It further stated that the kidnapped examination supervisor, Solomon Audu, is a Grade Level 12 officer employed by the Kogi State Government and posted to Community Secondary School, Effin.
According to NECO, its records show that the abducted candidates are duly registered students of Government Secondary School, Olowa, and were presented for the 2026 SSCE by the school in collaboration with the Kogi State Government.
The Council said all 28 candidates registered by the school for the 2026 NECO examination are bona fide students and not external candidates, contrary to the impression created by the commissioner’s remarks.
To support its position, NECO released the school’s SSCE enrolment figures for the past five years, showing that it registered 21 candidates in 2021, 20 in 2022, 28 in 2023, 40 in 2024, and 20 in 2025.
NECO also disclosed that the Kogi State Government paid the WAEC SSCE examination fees for 51 candidates from the same school in the recently concluded 2026 examination.
The Council further stated that before the commencement of the 2026 NECO SSCE, its Kogi State Coordinator had written to security agencies requesting support for the safe conduct of the examination.
It explained that the request became necessary following an earlier terrorist attack on Government Secondary School, Iluke, in Ijumu Local Government Area, during the 2026 WAEC SSCE.
NECO reaffirmed its commitment to credible examinations, saying it maintains zero tolerance for examination malpractice.
The Council said reforms introduced in recent years had significantly reduced reported cases of malpractice over the past five years.
It urged public officials, media organisations and other stakeholders to verify information before making public statements that could damage the reputation of institutions, mislead citizens or create unnecessary public anxiety.
NECO insisted that Government Secondary School, Olowa, remains a recognised public school and that the students abducted during the examination were duly registered candidates of the institution.
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