Kogi State launches rescue of abducted school staff

A major security operation is underway in Kogi State to rescue four people abducted by gunmen from a secondary school during a national examination. The attack occurred on Tuesday, July 14, at Government Secondary School in Olowa, located in the Dekina Local Government Area, while students were sitting for the National Examinations Council (NECO) tests.

The victims include the school's principal, Elder Daniel Iyanaa; a NECO official, Solomon Audu; and two female candidates identified as Dorcas Sunday and another named only as Dorcas. Authorities stated that five individuals were initially taken, but one victim has since been rescued. A large-scale, multi-agency rescue mission has been mobilized on the orders of Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo.

The operation is being coordinated by the State Security Adviser, retired Commander Jerry Omodara, and involves personnel from the Nigerian Army's 12 Brigade and 21 Battalion, the Nigeria Police Force, the Department of State Services, the Kogi State Vigilante Service, and local hunters. Officials said advanced technology is being deployed and that the mission is making encouraging progress, though operational details are being withheld to...