By Joy Yesufu
Gunmen have attacked Government Secondary School, Olowa, in Dekina Local Government Area of Kogi State, abducting the principal, four students, and a National Examinations Council (NECO) ad hoc official during an ongoing examination.
The attack occurred at about 5.25pm on Tuesday while students were writing their NECO papers, sending panic through the school community as armed men invaded the premises and took the victims to an undisclosed location.
Following the attack, a joint team of security operatives launched a search-and-rescue operation and began tracking the abductors through the surrounding forests.
Sources confirmed that one of the four abducted students has been rescued, though the circumstances surrounding the rescue were not immediately disclosed.
Efforts are being intensified to secure the freedom of the principal, the NECO official, and the three remaining students.
Security personnel have reportedly commenced extensive bush-combing operations, intelligence gathering, and surveillance across communities surrounding the school.
Authorities said the security operation is ongoing as efforts continue to restore normalcy to the area.
The attack is the latest in a series of school abductions in Nigeria’s North-Central region, where armed groups have increasingly targeted educational institutions for ransom.
The Kogi State Government and the Nigeria Police Force have yet to issue an official statement on the incident as of the time of filing this report.
