Taraba State government has launched a formal investigation into allegations that secondary school principals are extorting students by charging unauthorised fees for NECO biometric registration, in a direct violation of the state's free and compulsory education policy.

The Commissioner for Basic and Secondary Education, Dr Augustina Godwin, ordered the probe following reports that students in some schools were being compelled to pay for biometric capture for the National Examinations Council. The allegations came to light during the commissioner's inspection visits to affected schools, including Government Science Secondary School and Government College in Jalingo, where she held direct interactions with students and school officials.

Dr Godwin described the situation as "disturbing and unacceptable," stressing that the ministry operates a zero tolerance policy against any form of exploitation of students and parents under Governor Agbu Kefas's free education programme. She announced the formation of a seven member investigative committee headed by the ministry's Permanent Secretary, Alhaji Idris A. Goje, mandated to verify the claims, identify those responsible and recommend appropriate sanctions. "The ministry will not condone any act that undermines the integrity of the free education system or imposes undue financial burden on students and parents," she said, warning that anyone found culpable would face strict disciplinary action.

The commissioner assured that the panel would submit its report within a stipulated timeframe, after which the ministry would take necessary action. She also urged parents, guardians, and stakeholders to support the investigation by reporting similar incidents through appropriate channels.

That school principals are allegedly using a routine administrative process such as biometric registration as cover for unauthorised charges points to a broader vulnerability within Nigeria's free education programmes, where the gap between policy and implementation is too often exploited at the expense of the students those policies are designed to protect.