The Kogi State Police Command has confirmed that gunmen attacked Government Secondary School, Odo-Ekina, in Dekina Local Government Area on Tuesday evening, abducting four students, the school principal and a National Examinations Council (NECO) ad hoc staff member while candidates were writing their NECO examination.

According to a statement issued by the Police Public Relations Officer, ASP Saliu Oyiza Afusat, on Wednesday, the incident occurred at about 5:25 p.m. on Tuesday.

The police spokesperson disclosed that a combined team of security operatives immediately launched a search-and-rescue operation following the attack and is currently pursuing the kidnappers.

She said one of the abducted students has already been rescued, while efforts are ongoing to secure the release of the remaining victims and arrest those responsible for the attack.

The statement added that the Commissioner of Police, Kogi State Command, CP Naziru Bello Kankarofi, alongside the Brigade Commander and the Kogi State Security Adviser to the Governor, was on his way to the scene to carry out an on-the-spot assessment of the situation.

The command assured residents that security agencies are committed to ensuring the safe rescue of the remaining victims and restoring calm in the area.

The police said a comprehensive statement containing further verified details would be issued as the investigation progresses.

The latest attack comes days after suspected kidnappers ambushed a funeral convoy along the Ochadamu-Ejule Road in Ofu Local Government Area on 9 July, abducting nine mourners, including two officials of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), who were accompanying the remains of Deputy Corps Commander Augustine Ikwue to his hometown in Benue State.

The abductors later abandoned Mr Ikwue’s corpse near Ejule while demanding N450 million ransom for the release of the kidnapped victims.

The police said security operatives, including soldiers, vigilantes and local hunters, launched rescue operations after the attack.

The latest school abduction also comes despite recent efforts by Kogi and Benue states to strengthen security along their shared border.

Last week, the two states launched Operation Handshake Patrol, a joint policing initiative aimed at improving intelligence sharing, dismantling criminal hideouts and allowing security operatives to pursue suspects across state boundaries.

Governor Hyacinth Alia of Benue said the operation was designed to tackle criminals who commit offences in one state and escape into the other, while security officials expressed optimism that the collaboration would improve patrols and reduce cross-border crimes.

Meanwhile, the latest incident has renewed concerns over attacks on schools in Kogi State.

On 10 June, suspected terrorists attacked Government Secondary School, Iluke Bunu, in Kabba/Bunu Local Government Area, killing three people, including the school’s vice principal and a six-year-old child, in what the state government described as a failed attempt to abduct students.

The Kogi government later announced that security forces had killed the alleged mastermind of the attack, Kachalla Ibrahim Batijo, during a coordinated operation.

Authorities have also announced a series of security measures in recent weeks, including restrictions on motorcycle operations in parts of Kabba/Bunu, a ban on night travel on some state roads, intensified military operations and intelligence-led raids targeting suspected criminal groups.

Despite those measures, attacks by kidnappers have continued in parts of the state, particularly along major highways and in rural communities. Security agencies say operations are ongoing to rescue the remaining victims of Tuesday’s school attack and arrest those responsible.

The National Universities Commission (NUC) has approved the establishment of five new full-time undergraduate programmes at the Enugu State University of Science and Technology (ESUT), effective from the 2026/2027 academic session.

The approval followed a resource verification exercise conducted by a panel of experts that assess the adequacy of the university’s human and material resources for the proposed programmes.

In a letter signed by the Director of Academic Planning, Abubakar M. Girei, on behalf of the Executive Secretary of the NUC, the Commission approved the introduction of Bachelor of Science (B.Sc.) degree programmes in Artificial Intelligence, Cyber Security, Intelligence and Security Studies, Data Science, and Software Engineering.

The Commission, however, clarified that the approval is limited to the full-time mode of study and does not extend to part-time delivery at this stage.

It added that the university must notify the Commission and obtain the requisite approval before introducing part-time or postgraduate components of any of the newly approved undergraduate programmes.

The NUC further urged ESUT to continue providing adequate human and material resources to ensure the effective implementation, development, and sustainability of the programmes.

The approval comes at a time Governor Peter Mbah’s administration has consistently committed more than 33 per cent of Enugu State’s annual budget to education, with a strong emphasis on science, technology, innovation, and digital skills development to prepare young people for the demands of the future workforce.

Governor Mbah had earlier disclosed that his administration was redesigning the state’s education system to equip learners—from the primary school level to the university—with the capacity to develop technology-driven innovations, create globally competitive solutions, and participate effectively in the digital economy through curricula anchored on the Smart Green Schools initiative.

As part of realising the vision, the governor recently sponsored a high-level academic delegation led by the Vice Chancellor of ESUT, Prof. Aloysius-Michaels Okolie, to Doha, Qatar, to understudy global best practices in artificial intelligence, applied learning, and innovation ecosystems, with a view to adapting and implementing the models at the university.

A United Kingdom UK-based Nigerian, Beatrice Solomon, 27, was found dead in her home on Wednesday.

A coroner in the United Kingdom ruled that a 27-year-old Nigerian woman, Beatrice Solomon, died by suicide after an inquest into her death.

Beatrice, a mother of one, was found unresponsive at her home on Norris Road in Stanfield by her husband, Damian Butler, on March 4.

According to evidence presented at the inquest, Butler, 40, had left for his delivery job at about 4:30 p.m. before returning home roughly two hours later to use the toilet, where he made the tragic discovery.

Police Constable Hinchliffe told the hearing that paramedics arrived shortly afterwards, but Beatrice was pronounced dead at the scene at 6:21 p.m. Officers also ruled out any third-party involvement.

The inquest heard that Beatrice moved from Nigeria to Stoke-on-Trent in November 2023 on a skilled worker visa, where she worked as a carer. She is survived by her young son and siblings.

Giving evidence, Butler said Beatrice had struggled with her mental health over the previous 12 months due to ongoing issues involving Stoke-on-Trent City Council.

He also revealed that he later discovered she had made two previous attempts to take her own life.

Pathologist Dr Jones told the inquest that Beatrice died from oxygen deprivation.

Delivering her conclusion, Coroner Li Hammond-Naylor ruled that Beatrice died by suicide.

She said: “It is clear to me that Beatrice had researched and planned how to take her own life. I can only extend my sincere condolences to Beatrice’s family and friends.”