The principal of Community Grammar School, Esiele, in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State, Mrs. Rachael Alamu, has narrated the traumatic 56-day ordeal she and dozens of teachers and pupils endured in the hands of kidnappers, revealing that young children were beaten into silence while the captives were forced to undertake exhausting nighttime treks through forests to evade security operatives.
Alamu spoke on Monday during the formal handover of the rescued victims to Governor Seyi Makinde at the Governor’s Office in Ibadan, days after a coordinated military and intelligence-led operation secured their release from captivity.
The victims were abducted on May 15 after gunmen attacked three schools in Oriire Local Government Area, killing one teacher, Michael Oyedokun, before fleeing with pupils and school staff into the Old Oyo National Park forest.
Recounting the ordeal, the school principal said the victims spent nearly two months in the open forest under harsh weather conditions, surviving on faith while struggling to protect the children.
“You can only imagine it. We stayed in the forest under the sun and rain with the children. We believed only God could help us, and we knew people were praying for us,” she said.
Alamu disclosed that the kidnappers subjected the younger pupils to severe beatings whenever they cried or made noise, fearing the sounds could expose their location.
“The youngest children suffered the most. They tied pieces of cloth around their mouths and beat them whenever they cried,” she said, adding that although she escaped physical assault, many of the children were repeatedly punished.
She, however, stated that none of the captives was sexually assaulted during the period in captivity.
The principal revealed that the abductors constantly changed locations whenever they suspected security forces were closing in, compelling the victims to embark on long treks through dense forests, often beginning at night and lasting several hours.
“Whenever they felt the place had been discovered, we started moving around seven or eight at night. Sometimes we trekked for three or four hours. That is why many of us have bruises,” she explained.
According to her, while the kidnappers carried the youngest children during the journeys, older pupils had to walk through the difficult terrain, with many collapsing repeatedly from exhaustion.
She also disclosed that the male teachers endured harsher treatment, as they were blindfolded, handcuffed and chained throughout much of the captivity.
The victims eventually regained their freedom following a multi-agency operation involving the military, the Department of State Services, the Nigeria Police Force, Amotekun Corps, local hunters and vigilantes. Authorities said eight suspected kidnappers were arrested, while several others were neutralised during the operation.
President Bola Tinubu and Governor Seyi Makinde have since commended the security agencies for rescuing the victims without paying ransom, while directing that the freed pupils and teachers receive medical attention and psychosocial support.
Reflecting on the experience, Alamu admitted that returning to a rural school would now be a difficult decision after nearly three decades in the teaching profession.
“I have worked for 28 years and have just about four years to retire. Going back to a rural area now will take the grace of God,” she said.
