Armed attackers invaded Government Secondary School, Iluke Bunu in Kabba/Bunu Local Government Area of Kogi State on Wednesday, killing three people and disrupting an ongoing West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE).
Police said the incident occurred around 10 a.m. when a large group of armed men arrived on motorcycles and attempted to abduct students and other residents in the area.
According to the Kogi State Police Command, the victims include the vice principal of the school, a six-year-old child, and a 70-year-old man. One of the attackers was also killed during a gunfight with security forces.
The police spokesperson, Saliu Afusat, said tactical teams, including mobile police units, military personnel, and local vigilantes, were deployed after a distress call was received. The combined response forced the attackers to retreat into nearby forested areas.
The state government said the assailants disrupted an active examination session and had begun moving students away before security operatives intervened. Officials credited the rapid response of security agencies and local defenders with preventing what could have become a large-scale abduction.
Kingsley Fanwo, the state commissioner for information, said the situation was brought under control following the exchange of fire, adding that security operations are ongoing in surrounding communities.
The police confirmed that there was no verified mass abduction, though investigations are still underway to determine the full sequence of events.
The deceased have been identified as the vice principal of UBE Secondary/Primary School, Iluke, a 70-year-old resident, and a six-year-old child. Several security operatives sustained injuries during the confrontation and are receiving treatment.
Authorities said follow-up operations, including search-and-sweep exercises in nearby forests, are continuing as efforts intensify to track the fleeing attackers and prevent further incidents.
