Hours after the Kogi State Police Command disclosed that the kidnappers have made contact, demanding a ransom of N10 million for the four persons kidnapped during the National Examination Council (NECO) examination in Kogi State, the Kogi State Government last night announced the successful rescue of the four persons kidnapped at the examination center in Olowa, Dekina Local Government Area of the state.

Recall that the victims, comprising two students at Government Secondary School (GSS), Olowa, in Dekina Local Council Area of the state, their principal, and an ad-hoc staff member of NECO, were abducted on Tuesday evening.

Disclosing their development yesterday, the Commissioner for Information and Communications, Kingsley Femi Fanwo, described the rescue as the outcome of a coordinated security operation ordered by Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo immediately after the incident.

According to the Commissioner, Governor Ododo directed the State Security Adviser, Commander Jerry Omodara (rtd), to coordinate a joint rescue mission involving the Nigerian Army, the Department of State Services (DSS), the Nigeria Police Force, local vigilante groups and other security operatives.

“Just this evening, while inspecting the Armoured Personnel Carriers procured by the Kogi State Government to strengthen the fight against criminality, the governor assured newsmen that every effort was being made to secure the release of the victims. A few hours later, the victims regained their freedom. The sustained pressure on the kidnappers and the saturation of the forest by heavily armed security personnel forced the criminals to abandon the victims and flee.

“Security operatives remain in the forest and the operation is still ongoing. We are determined to ensure that none of the criminals escapes justice. Our resolve is clear: anyone who chooses the path of crime in Kogi State will face the full weight of the law. We can confirm that the principal, the NECO official and the two students have all been rescued safely. They are hale and hearty and are currently with security agencies for debriefing and necessary medical checks.”

Fanwo commended the gallantry and professionalism of the officers and men of the Nigerian Army, the DSS, the police, local security operatives and all other agencies involved in the rescue mission, describing their swift response as another testament to the effectiveness of inter-agency collaboration in the fight against insecurity.

Earlier, the Commissioner of Police, CP Naziru Kankarofi, had said available intelligence indicated that the gunmen have contacted relatives of the principal and are demanding a ransom of N10 million.

Also, the Nigerian Army said it has also intensified efforts to rescue the abducted persons. The Commanding Officer of the 21 Battalion, Lt.-Col. Godiya Monde, told newsmen at the scene of the attack yesterday that troops had already sealed suspected escape routes to stop the abductors from moving deeper into the forest.

According to Monde, security operatives are using calls made by the kidnappers to trace their location, expressing confidence that the victims will be rescued safely. Monde further explained that soldiers immediately launched a search operation after receiving reports of the attack and blocked all known crossing points used by criminals in the area.

The CP had noted that the property used for the examination was neither accredited by NECO nor approved by the Kogi State Government for public examinations. According to him, the principal, Mr Solomon Audu, and the NECO official, Mr Daniel Iya, “for reasons best known to them,” took about 10 selected students to a remote, isolated and abandoned part of the school premises to sit for the exam.

Meanwhile, Kankarofi explained that due to the current security situation, the state government and school administrators had agreed to assemble students in safer, approved locations for NECO to prevent such incidents.