The Principal of Community High School, Ahoro-Esiele, Mrs. Rachael Alamu, on Monday recounted the traumatic 56-day captivity she endured alongside pupils and teachers abducted by gunmen in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State, revealing that the kidnappers repeatedly tried to convince them that the government had abandoned their plight.
Mrs. Alamu spoke during the official handover of the 44 rescued victims to Governor Seyi Makinde at the Oyo State Government House, Ibadan, where she narrated the physical, emotional and psychological torture they suffered in the hands of their captors.
According to her, the kidnappers constantly deployed fear and misinformation to weaken the resolve of the captives.
“For 56 days, we went through a harrowing experience. Many times, they used fear to subdue us. At some point, they told us the government was no longer interested in our case because it did not value us,” she said.
The principal disclosed that the captives witnessed unimaginable brutality during their ordeal, noting that hope began to fade after one of the teachers, Deacon John Olaleye, was killed shortly after the abduction, while another victim, Mr. Michael Oyedokun, was beheaded in captivity.
She said the kidnappers deliberately carried out the killings and later circulated a video of Mr. Oyedokun’s execution in an apparent attempt to pressure the government into negotiating with them.
“They killed them purposely because they believed that would force the government to do whatever they wanted,” Mrs. Alamu said emotionally.
Despite the despair, she noted that the captives never realised the scale of efforts being made by the government and security agencies to secure their freedom.
“It was until we got out that we saw that the whole world was interested in our case. We have scars already, but we believe it is now time to heal,” she added.
Speaking at the ceremony, the General Officer Commanding (GOC), 2 Division, Nigerian Army, Major General Chinedu Ralph Nnebeife, disclosed that security agencies deliberately refused to negotiate with the kidnappers despite intense pressure from various quarters.
He explained that although aerial surveillance was initially deployed, the dense forest vegetation made it impossible to effectively monitor the kidnappers’ hideout, necessitating an extensive ground operation.
“We deployed drones and the Air Force conducted surveillance flights, but because of the density of the forest, sunlight could hardly penetrate some areas. The operation therefore became a ground operation deep inside the forest,” he said.
The GOC described the rescue as a coordinated multi-agency operation involving the Nigerian Armed Forces, Air Force, Police, Department of State Services (DSS), Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Amotekun Corps, local hunters and vigilantes, who worked together to block escape routes, dismantle the kidnappers’ logistics network and track their collaborators.
He reiterated the government’s policy of refusing to negotiate with terrorists.
“We have always maintained that we will never yield to terrorists’ wishes, and we will never do that,” he declared.
Major General Nnebeife stressed that the operation extended beyond rescuing the victims, saying efforts were ongoing to dismantle the criminal network responsible for the abductions.
“We are not giving up on them. It is not over. We must see the end of terrorists operating in that region,” he said.
The military commander, however, disclosed that the successful operation came at a heavy price. A minute’s silence was observed for two teachers and security personnel who lost their lives during the abduction and rescue operation.
He also revealed that an officer and a soldier were killed during the rescue mission, while several others sustained varying degrees of injuries. According to him, one of the fallen officers was buried on the same day the operation achieved its breakthrough.
The victims were abducted on May 15 when heavily armed gunmen invaded three schools in Oriire Local Government Area, an attack that sent shockwaves across Oyo State and disrupted academic activities in the affected communities.
Following their handover to Governor Seyi Makinde, the rescued pupils and teachers were immediately transferred to the Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH) Teaching Hospital for comprehensive medical examination, treatment and psychological rehabilitation.
The Oyo State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Oluwaserimi Ajetunmobi, accompanied the victims to the hospital alongside other senior government officials as part of the state’s post-rescue rehabilitation programme.
The victims are expected to remain under medical observation for approximately 48 hours before reuniting with their families, bringing to a close a painful 56-day ordeal that claimed lives, tested resilience and underscored the determination of security agencies to confront criminal elements operating in the state’s forests.
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