A shocking scandal is brewing in Benue as students reportedly set fire to their principal’s home over missing NECO registration. What really happened? Read full story now.
…. Chaos Erupts as 178 Students Accuse School Head of Exam Fraud After Collecting Over ₦15 Million
Benue State has once again been thrown into turmoil—not by herdsmen attacks this time—but by an education scandal gone violent. Final year students of Gyutiev Model College, located in Saghev Ward, Guma Local Government Area, reportedly set ablaze the residence of their principal, Mr. Isaac Yina, after accusing him of defrauding them of ₦85,000 each under the pretense of registering them for the 2025 NECO examinations.
The arson attack, which occurred in the early hours of Friday, left the community in shock and raised serious questions about rampant corruption in Nigeria’s education sector, lack of oversight, and the growing desperation of abandoned students.
₦15 Million Gone Up in Smoke
Reports allege that Mr. Yina collected a total of ₦85,000 from each of the 178 final-year students, amounting to over ₦15 million. The money was meant for their registration for the 2025 National Examination Council (NECO) Senior School Certificate Examination (SSCE).
However, the students claimed they discovered—just days before the exam commencement—that their names were not submitted for registration.
With no official NECO records confirming their registration and faced with the reality that their academic future had been jeopardized, the enraged students stormed the principal’s residence and burnt it down in protest.
Police Yet to Respond
When contacted by DAILY POST, the spokesperson of the Benue State Police Command, Udeme Edet, said she had not yet received a full report on the incident.
“When I find out, I will let you know,” she said, declining to confirm or deny the arson attack.
However, eyewitnesses from the Saghev community confirmed that the principal’s residence was completely razed, and the principal himself was nowhere to be found at the time of this report.
Tension in Guma: A LGA in Crisis
The incident adds to the tension already engulfing Guma LGA, a region that has recently been in the headlines for other tragic reasons. Recall that just days ago, over 200 people were reportedly killed during an attack on Yelwata community by suspected armed herdsmen. The growing insecurity and now, education-related unrest, have raised concerns about governance and the rule of law in the area.
What the NECO Office Is Saying
Although NECO has not officially commented on the incident, internal sources suggest that the names of the 178 students were never uploaded or processed—meaning no exam slips, no centers, no access to the 2025 exam portal.
If verified, this would constitute one of the biggest private school exam frauds in the recent history of Benue State.
Public Reactions: “This Is What Happens When Hope Dies”
Social media and local community leaders have condemned both the alleged fraud and the violent response from the students. Many are calling for a full investigation and prosecution of the principal if found guilty, while also questioning the total collapse of checks and balances in the education system.
“This is what happens when you leave children to navigate betrayal with no institutional remedy. Their entire future has been sabotaged,” said a teacher from a nearby school.
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