An ongoing National Examinations Council (NECO) exam has been abruptly disrupted by bandits who succeeded in whisking away the NECO examination supervisor, the principal and four students.
The latest attack, which has been confirmed by the police, happened at the Government Secondary School, Opada-Olowa in Dekina Local Government Area of Kogi State at about 2pm
Those abducted have been identifies as Mr. Nyada Daniel, school principal; the NECO supervisor, Mr. Solomon Audu; and four students.
Residents said the heavily armed assailants stormed the community, firing sporadically to scare people before invading the school.
“The gunmen seemed surprised to see many people outside at that time of the day and initially retreated. They later returned, shooting indiscriminately, forcing everyone to flee for safety”, a community leader, Sunday Alkali said.
He added that the kidnappers have also gone ahead to contact some relatives of the victims demanding ransom for their release.
“At least four families have received calls from the abductors demanding huge sums of money for the victims’ freedom,” Alkali alleged.
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“We initially did not know what the gunmen were after. After the shooting stopped, some of us went to the school and found examination papers scattered across classrooms and the school premises. There were no students or school officials in sight,” another resident said.
Feelers on the attack is that the number of those taken away would have been higher but for the fact that the day’s examination involved only English Literature.
According to a resident, soldiers, policemen, vigilantes and hunters are already combing the surrounding forests in search of the kidnappers.
The Kogi State Police Command, while confirming the incident, said security agencies were already going after the abductors.
According to the Police Public Relations Officer, ASP Saliu Oyiza Afusat:
“A combined team of the Police and other security agencies immediately launched a search-and-rescue operation and is currently on the trail of the assailants.
“So far, one of the abducted students has been rescued, while efforts are ongoing to secure the safe rescue of the remaining victims and apprehend the perpetrators.
“The Commissioner of Police, Kogi State Command, CP Naziru Bello Kankarofi, the Brigade Commander and the State Security Adviser to the Governor are currently en route to the scene for an on-the-spot assessment,” she said.
The latest attack has again underscored the imperative for security presence whether for the NECO exam or any other national exam for that matter.
