Troops Rescue Abducted Kogi School Exam Victims
A combined force of military and police personnel has rescued four school kidnapping victims in Kogi State. The rescue occurred just hours after their abductors demanded a ten-million-naira ransom. The victims include the principal of Government Secondary School, Olowa, a National Examinations Council official, and two female candidates. Gunmen had snatched them on Tuesday evening during an ongoing examination in Dekina Local Government Area. The state government confirmed that the rescued citizens are now safe and undergoing medical checks.
The quick rescue followed a direct directive from Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo. He ordered a massive joint security operation to comb the local forests immediately after the abduction. The State Security Adviser led the mission, which included troops from the Nigerian Army 12 Brigade and the 21 Battalion. Department of State Services agents, police officers, and local vigilantes also joined the hunt. Security forces saturated the suspected hideouts, forcing the kidnappers to abandon their captives and flee.
The incident occurred at what state authorities described as an unauthorised examination centre. Gunmen invaded the school at about five o’clock in the evening as students sat for their papers. Security agencies launched a manhunt as the community fell into panic. Fleeing students have since been relocated to a safer venue to complete their examinations. Armed patrols have also been stepped up around other school premises in the area.
This operation represents a major victory for the state’s newly upgraded security network. Just hours before the rescue, Governor Ododo was inspecting newly acquired armoured personnel carriers designed to combat rural banditry. The governor praised President Bola Tinubu for ordering federal security chiefs to provide immediate logistical backup. He insisted that the state will continue to pursue the fleeing kidnappers. Security personnel remain inside the forest to track down the gang.
The state government has warned that it will no longer tolerate the use of unregistered or remote venues for public examinations. These isolated centres remain highly vulnerable to rural bandits seeking easy targets. Local education authorities have been instructed to audit all exam venues across the state. Security agencies want all public schools to have basic security protocols. Future examinations must happen only in well-guarded locations.