A community leader, Sunday Alkali, has recounted the attack on Government Secondary School, Opada-Olowa, in Kogi State, where armed bandits reportedly retreated after seeing a large crowd before returning to open fire and abduct several people.
According to a report by Daily Trust, the attack occurred on Wednesday, July 15, 2026, as students were sitting for the National Examinations Council (NECO) examination. The gunmen stormed the community and targeted the school while parents and others waited outside for the examination to end.
Alkali said residents were initially confused because no one understood the attackers’ intentions.
“The gunmen seemed surprised to see many people outside at that time of the day and initially retreated,” he said. “They came back later, shooting randomly, and everyone had to run for cover.”
After the shooting stopped, examination papers were found scattered across classrooms, while several people, including students and school officials, were missing.
Those reportedly abducted included NECO supervisor Solomon Audu, four students, and the school principal, Nyada Daniel.
Security agencies immediately launched search and rescue operations, leading to the rescue of one kidnapped student while efforts continued to locate the remaining victims.
Kogi State Police Public Relations Officer, ASP Saliu Oyiza Afusat, confirmed the abductions and said security personnel worked together to rescue the remaining victims. She added that senior security officials had been deployed to the community to investigate the incident.
Alkali also alleged that the kidnappers had previously demanded ransom from other families in the area.
Meanwhile, security personnel, local hunters, and vigilantes continued combing nearby forests in search of more victims and the attackers.
