Breaking: Kidnapped NECO Official, Students, Others Rescued
- Kogi State Government confirmed the rescue of four persons abducted during an attack on an examination centre in Olowa, Dekina LGA
- Governor Ahmed Ododo ordered a joint security operation involving the Army, DSS, Police and local vigilante groups after the kidnapping
- Commissioner Kingsley Fanwo confirmed all four victims, including a school principal, a NECO official and two students, are safe
The Kogi state government has announced the successful rescue of four persons, including an official of the National Examination Council (NECO), who were recently abducted in an attack on an examination centre in Olowa, Dekina Local Government Area of the state.
Kingsley Fanwo, the state's commissioner for information and communication, announced the development in a statement on Thursday, July 16. The state maintained that the rescue was the outcome of a coordinated security operation that Governor Ahmed Ododo immediately ordered after the abduction.
Source: Original
How the Kogi rescue operation unfolded
Vanguard reported that Governor Ododo immediately tasked the State Security Adviser, Commander Jerry Omodara (Rtd), with coordinating a multi-agency response that brought together the Nigerian Army's 12 Brigade and 21 Battalion, the Department of State Services (DSS), the Nigeria Police Force and local vigilante groups. The teams moved into the forest area where the victims were believed to be held.
Fanwo noted that the governor had been visibly engaged with the process throughout the day, including while inspecting Armoured Personnel Carriers that the state government procured to bolster its security capacity.
Within hours, the sustained pressure from security operatives who flooded the forest proved decisive. According to Fanwo, the kidnappers abandoned the victims and fled rather than engage the heavily armed personnel closing in on their position.
Security operations continue in Kogi forests
The commissioner stressed that security forces remain deployed in the forest and that the operation has not been stood down. He warned that the government's priority now shifts to ensuring none of the perpetrators escapes accountability.
Fanwo also acknowledged President Bola Tinubu's role in facilitating support, saying the president directed the heads of relevant security agencies to render full assistance to Kogi state. "Today, that support has yielded the desired result. We are deeply grateful to the president for standing firmly with Kogi state in our determination to protect lives and property," the commissioner added.
He commended the professionalism of all agencies involved and reaffirmed that the Ododo administration would continue to invest in intelligence, logistics and inter-agency collaboration as part of its broader security strategy across the state.
Source: Twitter
Gunmen kidnapped NECO official, others in Kogi
Legit.ng earlier reported that gunmen stormed Government Secondary School, Odo-Ekina, in Dekina LGA on Tuesday evening and abducted four students, the school principal and a NECO ad hoc staff member.
The Kogi State Police Command confirmed the attack occurred at 5:25 p.m. while NECO examination candidates were seated, and security operatives immediately launched a rescue operation.
One of the four abducted students has already been rescued, with security agencies continuing to pursue the kidnappers and search for the remaining victims.
Source: Legit.ng
