The family of a victim abducted during an attack on a NECO examination centre in Kogi State has flatly contradicted the state government’s account of a coordinated rescue, insisting all hostages were freed only after families paid ransom — and alleging that informants repeatedly tipped off kidnappers whenever security forces closed in using drones.
The Kogi State Government says it rescued the hostages. The families say they paid to get them back.
A relative of one of the victims abducted during a brazen attack on a NECO examination centre in Olowa, Dekina Local Government Area, Kogi State, has told SaharaReporters that every family affected paid ransom before their relatives were released — directly contradicting official government claims of a coordinated security rescue.
The source, identified simply as Elizabeth, said her elder brother — serving as an external NECO supervisor — was seized alongside the school principal and two students while examinations were either underway or about to begin.
“They had already surrounded them. It was him, the principal and two students. There was no way he could escape,” she said.
The kidnappers made contact the following morning at around 7:00 a.m., initially demanding ₦15 million. After negotiations, the family paid ₦1.5 million.
Elizabeth said the pattern was consistent across all the families involved. “The principal’s family paid ransom first and they released him. About one hour later they released my brother. All of them paid money,” she said.
When government officials announced a rescue operation, the family was blindsided. “We were asking ourselves, rescued? We paid money for this thing,” she said.
Elizabeth also alleged that security operatives deploying drones to track the kidnappers were repeatedly outmanoeuvred by suspected informants tipping off the abductors by phone. “Anytime they located them, the kidnappers would receive a phone call. Immediately they received the call, they would move them to another location,” she said, adding that gunshots would ring out moments later in the area the victims had just vacated.
“The security people were trying, but it was as if somebody was jeopardising the operation,” she added.
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