Ododo Reaffirms No-Ransom Policy As Security Forces Rescue Abducted NECO Candidates In Kogi

Kogi State governor, Alhaji Ahmed Usman Ododo, has reiterated his administration’s policy of not negotiating with kidnappers or paying ransom, following the successful rescue of four persons abducted from a NECO examination centre in Dekina Local Government Area of the state.

The governor made this known on Friday at the Government House, Lokoja, while receiving the rescued victims who were kidnapped on Tuesday during an attack on a purported examination centre at the abandoned Government Secondary School, Olowa Agbajo, Dekina LGA.

Ododo commended security agencies for their coordinated operations, describing the rescue as a testament to the effectiveness of inter-agency collaboration in tackling insecurity in the state.

“I have said it before, and I want to reiterate that this administration will never negotiate with criminals or pay ransom. They may come into our state, but they will not return to where they came from,” the governor declared.

He also praised President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for providing the necessary support to security agencies, assuring the President that Kogi State would continue to justify the confidence reposed in it.

“I want to commend Mr President and Commander-in-Chief, Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu, for giving us all the support needed to defeat insecurity. We will not disappoint him in Kogi State,” he added.

The governor, however, ordered a full investigation into the circumstances that led to the conduct of the NECO examination at the abandoned school.
According to him, preliminary findings indicated that the school had earlier been shut down because of its remote location and security concerns.

“I await the outcome of the investigation to determine why the principal decided to take only 10 students to an isolated location for the examination,” he said.

Ododo urged residents to remain calm, assuring them that security operatives were on the trail of the kidnappers and would ensure they were arrested and prosecuted.
Earlier, the Commissioner of Police in Kogi State, CP Naziru Bello Kankarofi, said the four victims were rescued alive on Thursday evening following sustained pressure mounted on the kidnappers by joint security forces.

He disclosed that the victims comprised the school principal, Elder Daniel Iyanda; a NECO official, Mr Solomon Peter; and two female candidates identified as Miss Dorcas Sunday and another Miss Dorcas.

Kankarofi explained that immediately after the incident was reported on July 14, he led a joint assessment team to the scene alongside the Commander of the 12 Brigade, Nigerian Army, Brig.-Gen. Kasim Sidi, and the State Security Adviser, Commander Jerry Omodara (rtd).

He said additional tactical teams, intelligence assets and operational personnel were subsequently deployed, while joint security operatives, including the police, military, local vigilantes and hunters, launched extensive bush-combing operations across forests and neighbouring communities.

“The sustained operational pressure mounted on the kidnappers forced them to abandon the victims, who were successfully rescued alive at about 7:45 p.m. on Thursday, July 16, 2026,” the police commissioner said.

Kankarofi revealed that investigations had uncovered that the examination was conducted at an abandoned government school previously shut down by the state government due to security concerns.

According to him, intelligence available to the police indicated that the abandoned premises had been unlawfully converted into a so-called special examination centre for 10 candidates writing the ongoing NECO examination.

He further disclosed that investigators were probing allegations that some individuals facilitated the use of the abandoned facility despite its closure, adding that there were also claims that the classroom had become notorious as a venue for examination malpractice.

“Anyone found to have violated the law, regardless of status or position, will be arrested and prosecuted,” he warned.

The police commissioner stressed that public examinations must only be conducted in approved and secure centres, noting that any arrangement exposing candidates and officials to avoidable danger was unacceptable.

He commended the Inspector-General of Police, IGP Olatunji Rilwan Disu, Governor Ododo, the Nigerian Army, the Department of State Services (DSS), the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), local vigilantes and hunters for their support and collaboration in the rescue operation.

Kankarofi assured residents that efforts were ongoing to track down and arrest all those responsible for the abduction, while urging examination bodies, school authorities and members of the public to cooperate with investigators.

Speaking separately, the rescued victims expressed appreciation to Governor Ododo and the security agencies for their swift intervention, attributing their freedom to the prompt response of the rescue team.

However, the school principal and the NECO official declined comments on the legality of the examination centre, saying investigations were ongoing and they would not make statements capable of prejudicing the outcome.