The Kogi State Government has announced the successful rescue of the four persons abducted during Tuesday’s attack on Government Secondary School (GSS), Olowa, in Dekina Local Government Area of the state.
The victims, comprising the school principal, a National Examinations Council (NECO) ad hoc official, and two students, were kidnapped by armed men who invaded the school while candidates were sitting for their examinations.
The attack, which occurred at about 5:25 p.m. on July 14, threw the school into panic as the assailants stormed the premises and whisked away the victims.
Confirming their rescue in a statement issued on Thursday, the Kogi State Commissioner for Information and Communications, Kingsley Femi Fanwo, attributed the successful operation to a coordinated security response ordered by Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo immediately after the incident.
According to Fanwo, the governor directed the State Security Adviser, Commander Jerry Omodara (Rtd), to coordinate a joint rescue operation involving personnel of the Nigerian Army, the Department of State Services (DSS), the Nigeria Police Force, local vigilante groups and other security agencies.
He said security operatives launched an intensive operation in the forest where the kidnappers were believed to have fled, mounting sustained pressure that eventually forced the criminals to abandon the victims and escape.
“A few hours after the governor assured residents that every effort was being made to secure the victims’ release, the school principal, the NECO official and the two students regained their freedom. They are safe and currently undergoing debriefing and medical examination,” Fanwo said.
He added that security personnel remain in the forest to continue the operation and ensure those responsible for the attack are apprehended.
The commissioner commended the Nigerian Army, the DSS, the Police, local vigilantes and other security agencies for their professionalism and swift response, describing the rescue as another demonstration of the effectiveness of inter-agency collaboration in tackling insecurity.
Fanwo also expressed the Kogi State Government’s appreciation to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for supporting the state’s security efforts, noting that the President directed security chiefs to provide all necessary assistance to ensure the victims’ safe return.
He reaffirmed the government’s determination to sustain the fight against criminality, warning that perpetrators of violent crimes in the state would be brought to justice.