The National Examinations Council (NECO) has refuted claims that Government Secondary School, Olowa, in Dekina Local Government Area of Kogi State operates as a “miracle examination centre,” describing the allegation as false and misleading.
The examination body, in a statement issued on Friday, said the school is a recognised public institution that has served as one of its examination centres for many years, contrary to comments reportedly made by the Kogi State Commissioner for Information and Communications, Kingsley Fanwo.
NECO expressed sympathy to the victims of the recent abduction at the school and praised the Kogi State Government as well as security agencies for securing the release of those kidnapped during the attack.
The council insisted that Government Secondary School, Olowa, has existed for more than four decades and has presented candidates for the Senior School Certificate Examination since 2000.
It also clarified that the school’s principal, Elder Daniel Iyamaa, and the abducted examination supervisor, Solomon Audu, are employees of the Kogi State Government.
According to NECO, the 28 candidates registered by the school for the 2026 Senior School Certificate Examination are duly enrolled students of the institution and not external candidates.
The council added that the school’s student population has remained stable over the past five years and disclosed that the Kogi State Government also sponsored 51 students from the school for the 2026 West African Senior School Certificate Examination.
NECO further revealed that its Kogi State office had requested additional security before the commencement of the examination because of previous attacks on schools during external examinations.
Reaffirming its commitment to tackling examination malpractice, the council said it maintains a zero-tolerance policy against all forms of examination fraud, adding that reforms introduced under its Registrar, Professor Dantani Ibrahim Wushishi, have significantly reduced malpractice nationwide.
The statement urged public officials and other stakeholders to verify information before making public comments capable of damaging the reputation of institutions or creating unnecessary public anxiety.
The clarification followed reports linking the recent abduction at the school to an alleged “miracle centre.” The victims, including the principal, a NECO official and two students, were later rescued during a joint security operation after sustained pressure from security operatives forced the kidnappers to flee.
