‎Rescued Oyo principal recounts victims’ experience in captivity ‎

‎IBADAN – The principal of Community High School, Ahoro-Esiele, Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State, Mrs. Rachael Alamu, on Monday, July 13, narrated the harrowing ordeal she and dozens of pupils and teachers endured during their 56-day captivity after being abducted by gunmen in May.
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‎Speaking after the rescued victims were formally handed over to Governor Seyi Makinde in Ibadan on Monday, Alamu revealed that the kidnappers subjected the captives, particularly the younger children, to severe physical and psychological abuse.
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‎According to her, the abductors were intolerant of noise and often punished children who cried or drew attention to themselves.
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‎“The youngest children suffered the most. They would tie their mouths with pieces of cloth and beat them very well,” she said.
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‎Alamu explained that the victims spent most of their time in the open forest, exposed to harsh weather conditions, while constantly being moved from one location to another to evade security operatives.
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‎She said they were often forced to undertake long treks through the forest at night.
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‎Describing the experience as traumatic, the principal said the captives relied on faith and the hope that people were praying for them to survive the ordeal.
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‎“We were in the forest, in the open, most of the time, under the sun and under the rain, with the children. But we kept going because there was no way out,” she said.
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‎She further disclosed that male teachers endured harsher treatment, including being blindfolded, handcuffed and chained by their abductors. However, she noted that none of the victims was sexually assaulted during the period in captivity.
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‎In a separate account, Alamu said the kidnappers killed two captives in a bid to pressure the government into meeting their demands.
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‎She identified the victims as Mr. Michael, who was killed on the second day of captivity, and another captive known as Deacon, who was reportedly executed in early June.
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‎“They killed them purposely because they felt that would force the government to give them whatever they wanted,” she said, adding that the survivors had been left with emotional scars from the experience.
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‎The pupils and teachers were abducted on May 15 when armed men attacked three schools in Oriire Local Government Area, including Community Grammar School, Baptist Nursery and Primary School, and L.A. Primary School. A total of 39 pupils and seven teachers were taken during the raid.
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‎The victims regained their freedom on July 10 following a coordinated security operation that led to the arrest of eight suspected kidnappers, while several others were reportedly neutralised.
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‎ Authorities said the rescue was achieved without the payment of ransom or a prisoner exchange.
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‎Governor Makinde has since said the state government’s priority is to reunite the rescued victims with their families and provide them with the rehabilitation and psychological support needed to recover from the trauma of their captivity.