At least three people were killed after suspected terrorists stormed a school in Nigeria's central state of Kogi early Wednesday, local authorities said.

Kingsley Fanwo, commissioner for information and communications in Kogi State, said in a statement that the attackers, disguised in military uniforms, disrupted an examination at a school in Iluke community, Kabba-Bunu Local Government Area, and shot dead three people, including a vice principal.

According to Fanwo, the gunmen appeared to be attempting a mass abduction of students taking their final-year examinations, leading some students into nearby bushes before security personnel intervened.

The intervention prevented a large-scale kidnapping and further casualties, Fanwo said.

He added that security forces killed one of the attackers during the operation, while several others escaped with gunshot wounds. Security agencies have launched a manhunt for the fleeing suspects.

Nigeria's central region has faced a persistent wave of deadly attacks by armed groups, bandits and extremists targeting rural communities. Incidents are often characterized by indiscriminate gunfire, property destruction and abductions.