NECO Fires Back: Kogi School Is No 'Miracle Centre,' Just a Regular Government School.

NECO defends 40.year old Kogi school after official wrongly labeled it a cheating hub following student abduction.

The National Examinations Council (NECO) has hit back at claims that a Kogi State school is a "miracle examination centre" a term often used to describe schools that help students cheat in exams.

The controversy started when Kogi's Information Commissioner, Kingsley Fanwo, made the comment about Government Secondary School, Olowa, after five people were kidnapped from the school during the ongoing SSCE exams. Four have since been rescued.

But NECO isn't having it. The exam body says the school is a legitimate public institution that's been around for over 40 years and has been registering students for NECO exams since 2000 no funny business.

The facts, according to NECO:

· The school is owned by the Kogi State government

· The principal (who was among those kidnapped) is a senior civil servant at Grade Level 17

· The exam supervisor is also a government employee at Grade Level 12

· All 28 students taking the 2026 exams are registered students of the school not "outsiders" brought in just for exams

· The state government even paid exam fees for 51 students from this school for the WASSCE exams

NECO also shared the school's exam history:

· 2021: 21 candidates

· 2022: 20 candidates

· 2023: 28 candidates

· 2024: 40 candidates

· 2025: 20 candidates

This shows a normal, steady flow of students, not the massive numbers you'd see at so called "miracle centres."

Meanwhile, the Council noted they had actually warned security agencies before the exams started, asking for better protection at testing centres across the state a sign they knew security was a concern.