Bandits Disrupt NECO Exam, Abduct Students, School Officials in Kogi
Children’s safety and the security of schools is back in the spotlight after four students and two teachers were abducted during an exam in Kogi State.
Bandits are said to have invaded Government Secondary School, Opada-Olowa in Dekina Local Government Area on Tuesday afternoon as students were sitting for the National Examinations Council (NECO) exams. The four students along with a NECO supervisor, Solomon Audu, and the school principal, Nyada Daniel were abducted by the attackers.
The robbers were armed and shot to make people nervous before they went into the school, residents said. Examination materials were found strewn in classrooms after the attack as students and school officials had vanished.
The Kogi State Police Command confirmed the incident, saying the security agencies deployed officers in a search operation. One of the kidnapped pupils has been released, and the release of the others is being sought.
The attack is a reminder of the continuing threats children face from not having safe learning and education environments. Schools should be considered “safe environments” for children to learn in, free from violence, abduction and exploitation, according to the child protection advocates.
They urged for enhanced school security, emergency response and community based protection mechanisms to prevent attacks and to create an environment free from insecurity to aid children’s right to education.
