Gunmen on Tuesday attacked Government Secondary School, Odo-Ekina, in Dekina Local Government Area of Kogi State, abducting four students, the school principal and a National Examinations Council ad hoc staff member while the students were writing their NECO examination.
The attack occurred at about 5:25 p.m., according to the Kogi State Police Command.
The police said a combined team of its personnel and other security agencies has launched a search-and-rescue operation following the incident.
Confirming the development, the State Police spokesperson, ASP Saliu Oyiza Afusat, said one of the abducted students has been rescued, while efforts are ongoing to secure the release of the remaining five victims and apprehend the attackers.
She said the state Commissioner of Police, CP Naziru Bello Kankarofi, alongside the Brigade Commander and the State Security Adviser to the Governor, Commodore Jerry Omodara (Rtd), are already on their way to the scene for an on-the-spot assessment.
The police said a more detailed statement would be issued as additional verified information becomes available.
The Kogi attack comes less than three weeks after a similar raid in Borno State.
On June 29, 2026, gunmen stormed Lassa Day Secondary School in the Askira-Uba area of Borno State and abducted students at gunpoint while they were sitting for their NECO examinations.
At least 36 students, made up of 25 girls and 11 boys, and three teachers remain in captivity following that attack.
With the four students taken in Kogi, the number of students kidnapped during NECO examinations in Kogi and Borno in less than a month is now 40.
(The Whistler)