The principal of Community High School, Ahoro-Esiele, in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State, Mrs Rachael Alamu, has revealed that the kidnappers who held her and other abducted teachers and pupils captive for 56 days killed two of their colleagues in a bid to pressure the government into meeting their demands.
Alamu made this known on Monday during the official handover of the rescued victims to Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde by the Nigerian Army at the Government House, Ibadan.
Recounting the harrowing experience, she said what began as a normal school day on May 15 quickly turned into a nightmare that kept them in the bush for 56 days.
“We’re grateful to God. On May 15, a Friday that started well ended in chaos for us, and for 56 days we were in the bush. It was a harrowing experience, but we thank God for seeing us through. We went through a lot,” she said.
The principal disclosed that the abductors constantly subjected the victims to psychological intimidation, repeatedly telling them that the government had abandoned them and was no longer interested in securing their release.
“A relief to us is that Nigerians were praying for us. Many times, they used fear to subdue us. At one point they told us the government wasn’t interested in our case anymore because they didn’t value us. But there were times we held on to hope that we would come out alive,” she recalled.
According to the principal, the kidnappers executed two captives to increase pressure on the authorities.
“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.
She added that the survivors only realised the scale of public concern after their rescue.
“It was until we got out that we discovered the whole world was on our case. We have scars already, but we believe with time we will heal,” she said.
Alamu expressed gratitude to President Bola Tinubu, Governor Seyi Makinde, security agencies involved in the rescue operation and Nigerians whose prayers and support sustained hope throughout their captivity.
The victims were abducted on May 15, 2026, when armed bandits attacked Community High School, Ahoro-Esiele, Baptist Nursery and Primary School, Yawota, and LA Primary School in Ogbomoso, all located in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State.
The attack claimed the lives of assistant headmaster Joel Adesiyan and a commercial motorcyclist, prompting the Oyo State Government to shut schools in four local government areas while security agencies intensified rescue efforts.
The Presidency announced on Friday that all the abducted teachers and pupils had been rescued in a coordinated operation.
Presidential spokesman Bayo Onanuga said eight suspected kidnappers were arrested and are in the custody of the Department of State Services (DSS), while several others were neutralised during the operation. He also stated that no ransom was paid and no prisoner exchange was carried out to secure the victims’ release.
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