The National Examinations Council (NECO) has rejected allegations that Government Secondary School, Olowa, in Dekina Local Government Area of Kogi State, operates as a “miracle examination centre” where malpractice is promoted.
The examination body described the claim as false and misleading, insisting that the school is a legitimate public institution that has been presenting candidates for the Senior School Certificate Examination (SSCE) since 2000.
NECO’s Director of Information and Public Relations, Azeez Sani, expressed sympathy to victims of the recent abduction at the school and commended the Kogi State Government and security agencies for securing the release of the remaining victims.
The council, however, 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 term commonly used for examination centres associated with malpractice.
According to NECO, Government Secondary School, Olowa, is owned by the Kogi State Government, and its principal, who was among those abducted, is a Grade Level 17 officer in the state civil service.
The examination supervisor abducted alongside the students is a Grade Level 12 officer employed by the state government and posted to Community Secondary School, Effin.
The council said available records showed that the abducted candidates were genuine students of the school and were registered for the 2026 NECO SSCE through the institution in collaboration with the Kogi State Government.
It added that the 28 candidates registered for the examination were bona fide pupils of the school and not external candidates.
To support its position, NECO released the school’s enrolment figures for previous years, showing that the institution registered 20 candidates in 2025, 40 in 2024, 28 in 2023, 20 in 2022 and 21 in 2021.
The council also stated that the Kogi State Government paid examination fees for 51 candidates from the school during the recently concluded 2026 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE).
NECO explained that ahead of the 2026 SSCE, its Kogi State coordinator contacted security agencies to request adequate protection for the examination exercise, following an earlier terrorist attack on Government Secondary School, Iluke, in Ijumu Local Government Area during the WASSCE.
Reaffirming its commitment to credible examinations, NECO said it maintains a zero-tolerance policy towards examination malpractice under the leadership of its Registrar and Chief Executive, Dantani Wushishi.
The council added that reforms introduced in recent years had helped reduce examination malpractice and improve confidence in its examination processes nationwide.
NECO urged public officials and stakeholders to verify information before making statements that could damage the reputation of institutions or create unnecessary public concern.
