The Nigerian Army has intensified efforts to rescue four persons abducted from an examination centre in Olowa, Dekina Local Government Area of Kogi State, saying the kidnappers have established contact and are being tracked.
The Commanding Officer of the 21 Battalion, Lt. Col. Godiya Monde, disclosed this on Thursday while briefing journalists at the scene of the attack. He said troops had already sealed off 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.
“They’ve made some calls so far. We are tracking them to see where they are. I’m assuring you, we’re going to rescue those children,” he said.
He confirmed that four people remain in captivity, including two students, the school principal and a NECO supervisor.
Monde 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.
He noted that the examination centre, described as a “miracle centre” for external candidates, is located in a remote area, making it difficult for security personnel to reach the scene quickly after the attack.
According to him, troops only confirmed the incident after arriving at the school and finding examination papers scattered across classrooms.
The attack occurred on Tuesday while candidates were writing the National Examination Council (NECO) Literature-in-English examination.
The Kogi State Police Command had earlier confirmed the abduction and said a joint security operation involving multiple agencies had been launched. Authorities also revealed that one of the abducted students had already regained freedom, while efforts continue to rescue the remaining victims.
The Kogi State Government further disclosed that two of the abducted candidates were external students using the centre, describing it as a “miracle centre” that fell outside the state’s approved security arrangement for the ongoing examinations.
Governor Usman Ododo has directed a coordinated rescue operation led by the State Security Adviser, retired Commander Jerry Omodara, with support from the police, Department of State Services (DSS), Kogi Vigilante Service and local hunters.
