Rescued Oyo Principal Recounts 56-Day Ordeal, Says Kidnappers Killed Teachers To Mount Pressure

By Uzair Adam

The principal of Community High School, Ahoro-Esiele, Mrs Rachael Alamu, has narrated how kidnappers killed two teachers and assaulted pupils during their 56 days in captivity.

Alamu was among the 46 pupils and teachers abducted on May 15 after terrorists attacked three schools in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State.

The victims, who were taken from Baptist Nursery and Primary School, Yawota; Community Grammar School, Esiele; and LA Primary School, regained their freedom last Friday.

Speaking to journalists in Ibadan on Monday during the handover of the rescued victims to Governor Seyi Makinde by the Nigerian Army, Alamu said the abductors killed two teachers in an attempt to pressure the government into meeting their demands.

She identified the deceased as Mr Michael and a teacher known as Deacon, saying they were killed at different times during the captivity.

“Mr Michael was killed on the second day, while Deacon was killed on the first Sunday in June. They killed them purposely because they felt that would force the government to give them whatever they wanted,” she said.

The principal explained that the captives spent much of their time in the open forest, enduring harsh weather and constant movement from one location to another.

According to her, faith and the belief that Nigerians were praying for their safe return gave them strength throughout the ordeal.

“We were in the forest, in the open most of the time, under the sun, under the rain. We knew it was God that could really help us,” Alamu said.

She added that several children were assaulted by the kidnappers, particularly the younger ones, whose cries often angered their captors.

Alamu said although she was not physically assaulted, some pupils suffered repeated beatings, while the male captives faced harsher treatment.

“The men, they had it worse than us because they were blindfolded, handcuffed and chained on the leg,” she said.

She further disclosed that the kidnappers frequently relocated the victims whenever they suspected that security operatives were closing in on their hideouts.

While the youngest children were sometimes carried, most of the captives, including schoolgirls, were forced to trek through difficult terrain.

Alamu said it was only after their rescue that the victims realised the extent of public concern and prayers for their safe return.

Meanwhile, Governor Seyi Makinde has called on the United Nations and international human rights organisations to investigate the May 15 abduction.

Makinde said Nigerians deserved a transparent account of the incident, including the identity of those responsible and whether negligence, institutional failure or collusion contributed to the attack.

“This is not about politics. It is about justice for the victims, reassurance for our people, and restoring public confidence that every Nigerian child can go to school without fear,” the governor said.

In a related development, the Oyo State Police Command has launched a joint security operation to rescue Mathew Owoade, the 60-year-old headmaster of Nomadic Basic School, Igbojaye, who was abducted on Saturday.

Owoade was reportedly kidnapped along the Igbojaye–Budo Aare Farm Road, barely 24 hours after the rescue of the 46 pupils and teachers.

His son, Abiola Owoade, said the abductors used his father’s phone to demand a N30 million ransom.

The police spokesperson in Oyo State, DSP Ayanlade Olayinka, confirmed that an investigation and rescue operation were underway.

Also reacting, the Nigeria Union of Teachers called on the Federal Government to strengthen security around schools and intensify efforts to rescue teachers and pupils still in captivity.

The NUT National President, Comrade Audu Amba, said the rescue of the Oyo victims should not overshadow the worsening security threats facing Nigeria’s education sector.

He urged the authorities to strengthen the Safe Schools Initiative and deploy adequate security personnel and modern surveillance systems to vulnerable schools across the country.