NECO Breaks Silence On ‘Miracle Centre’ Allegation Against Kogi School

The National Examinations Council (NECO) has dismissed allegations describing Government Secondary School, Olowa, in Dekina Local Government Area of Kogi State as a “miracle examination centre,” insisting that the institution is a legitimate government-owned secondary school with a long-standing record of participating in national examinations.

According to Ireporter Online, the examination body made the clarification in a statement issued on Friday by its Acting Director of Information and Public Relations, Azeez Sani, following comments reportedly made by the Kogi State Commissioner for Information and Communications, Kingsley Fanwo, after the recent abduction of the school principal, an examination supervisor and three students during the ongoing 2026 Senior School Certificate Examination (SSCE).

While expressing sympathy for the victims, NECO commended the Kogi State Government and security agencies for their coordinated efforts, which led to the successful rescue of the remaining four abductees. However, the council maintained that describing the institution as a “miracle centre” was inaccurate and misleading.

The council explained that Government Secondary School, Olowa, has existed for more than 40 years and has been presenting candidates for the NECO Senior School Certificate Examination since 2000. It noted that the school is owned and managed by the Kogi State Government and has consistently participated in public examinations over the years.

NECO further identified the abducted principal, Elder Daniel Iyamaa, as a Grade Level 17 officer in the Kogi State Civil Service, while the examination supervisor, Solomon Audu, was described as a Grade Level 12 civil servant posted to the school by the state government.

The examination body also stated that all 28 candidates registered by the school for the 2026 SSCE were genuine students officially enrolled in the institution. It stressed that none of the candidates were external applicants brought in solely to write the examination, contrary to the impression allegedly created by the commissioner’s remarks.

To reinforce its position, NECO released the school’s examination enrolment records over the past five years, revealing that it presented 21 candidates in 2021, 20 in 2022, 28 in 2023, 40 in 2024, and 20 in 2025. It also disclosed that the Kogi State Government sponsored the examination fees of 51 students from the school for the 2026 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE), describing the figures as evidence of the school’s status as a recognized public examination centre.

The council revealed that it had taken proactive security measures before the commencement of the 2026 SSCE by formally requesting security agencies in Kogi State to provide protection for examination centres. The request followed an earlier attack on Government Secondary School, Iluke, in Ijumu Local Government Area during the 2026 WASSCE.

Reaffirming its commitment to maintaining the credibility of public examinations, NECO said it operates a zero-tolerance policy against examination malpractice. The council added that reforms introduced under the leadership of its Registrar, Prof. Dantani Ibrahim Wushishi, have significantly reduced incidents of examination malpractice in recent years.

NECO concluded by urging public officials and other stakeholders to verify information before making public statements capable of damaging the reputation of educational institutions or causing unnecessary public anxiety.