EXCLUSIVE: Kidnappers Allegedly Warned Kogi Community Before School Raid, Abduct Principal, Students, NECO Official, Demand ₦15m Ransom

By Onoja Baba, Kogi, Nigeria

Fresh details have emerged following Tuesday’s mass abduction at Government Secondary School, Odo-Ekina, in Dekina Local Government Area of Kogi State, as residents claim the kidnappers had issued advance warning letters announcing their planned attack before carrying out the raid.

The armed men reportedly stormed the school at about 5:25 p.m. while candidates were writing the ongoing National Examinations Council (NECO) examination.

They abducted the school principal, four student, and a NECO ad hoc official, sparking fresh concerns over the safety of schools and examination centres across the country.
The attack has also raised questions over whether intelligence about the planned invasion was adequately acted upon by security authorities.

Speaking exclusively with AFRICAN CULTURE TV, Elizabeth Peter, younger sister of the abducted NECO ad hoc official, disclosed that the kidnappers had contacted the family and demanded ₦15 million for her brother’s release.
“They are demanding about ₦15 million, but we don’t know what will happen yet,” she said.

Elizabeth explained that her brother was not a staff member of the school but had been deployed by NECO to supervise the examination.

“My brother is not working in that school. He’s serving in Dekina and was posted there for NECO duties. He wouldn’t have known about the security concerns in Odo-Ekina,” she said.

She further revealed that residents had earlier shared reports alleging that kidnappers sent letters to the community warning of the impending attack before the invasion.

On the rescue efforts, she said the family had not received any information suggesting that any of the victims had been freed.
“We have not heard anything about anybody being rescued,” she said.

According to Elizabeth, security operatives initially pursued the kidnappers after the attack but reportedly halted the operation after the abductors threatened to kill the captives.

“We were told soldiers were chasing them when one of the students’ phones rang. The kidnappers answered the call and warned the community that if the soldiers continued pursuing them, they would kill all the victims. After that, the soldiers reportedly pulled back,” she recounted.
She also expressed disappointment over what she described as the initial response of security agencies.

“My brother called the Divisional Police Officer yesterday, and the DPO reportedly told him there was nothing they could do for now,” she alleged.

According to her, the family also contacted the chairman of Dekina Local Government Area, who advised them to wait until the kidnappers made formal ransom demands.

“The chairman told us to wait for the kidnappers to call for ransom, so that is what we are doing,” she said.
Elizabeth further expressed fears that the kidnappers may have received help from individuals within the community.

“This is Nigeria. You don’t know who is who. We can not say whether everyone in the community is innocent, so everyone is being careful,” she added.

Meanwhile, the Kogi State Police Command confirmed the attack, stating that armed men invaded Government Secondary School, Odo-Ekina, during the ongoing NECO examination and abducted the principal, students and a NECO official.

Police Public Relations Officer, ASP Saliu Oyiza Afusat, confirmed that one of the abducted students had been rescued, while security operatives had intensified efforts to rescue the remaining victims and apprehend those responsible.

She added that the Commissioner of Police, CP Naziru Bello Kankarofi, alongside the Brigade Commander and the Kogi State Security Adviser, Commodore Jerry Omodara (Rtd), had visited the community for an on-the-spot assessment of the situation.

The command said a comprehensive statement would be issued as investigations and rescue operations continue.

The latest attack has renewed concerns over the security of schools, particularly examination centres in rural communities, where recurring attacks by armed groups continue to threaten education, public safety, and the conduct of national examinations.