The principal of Community High School in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State, Mrs. Rachael Alamu, has narrated the traumatic experiences she and dozens of abducted teachers and pupils endured during their 56-day captivity, revealing that the kidnappers gagged young children, brutally beat them to keep them quiet, and kept male teachers in chains while moving the captives from one forest hideout to another.
Alamu spoke on Monday after she, alongside the rescued teachers and pupils, was officially received by Governor Seyi Makinde at the Governor’s Office in the Oyo State Secretariat, Ibadan.
The victims were abducted on May 15, 2026, when gunmen attacked schools in Oriire Local Government Area before they were eventually rescued during a coordinated security operation after nearly two months in captivity.
Recalling the ordeal, the principal described the conditions in the kidnappers’ camp as harsh, saying the captives spent virtually the entire period in the open forest, exposed to the elements with little protection from the scorching sun or heavy rainfall.
“You can only imagine it. It was not easy. 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.
“We knew it was only God that could help us, and we believed people were praying for us. That kept us going,” she said.
Alamu disclosed that although she was spared physical assault, many of the younger pupils were subjected to severe punishment whenever they cried or made noise, as the kidnappers feared attracting the attention of security operatives.
“Personally, I was not beaten, but some of the children were beaten. What they hated most was noise because they believed it could attract attention.
“The youngest children suffered the most. They would tie their mouths with pieces of cloth and beat them very well,” she said.
Despite the brutality they endured, the school principal said none of the victims was sexually abused throughout the period of captivity.
“There was no form of molestation,” she added.
She explained that the kidnappers frequently relocated the captives whenever they suspected their hideouts had been compromised, forcing adults and children alike to undertake exhausting night journeys through dense forests.
“When the place was discovered, we had to move, and that usually started around seven or eight at night. Sometimes we walked for three to four hours. That is why you see bruises on our bodies,” she said.
According to Alamu, while the youngest children were carried by the kidnappers during the treks, the older pupils had to endure the grueling journeys on foot.
“The younger ones were carried, but the older children had to walk. They fell many times. It was very difficult,” she said.
The principal also recounted how the victims were transported into the forest immediately after the abduction, describing a carefully coordinated movement designed to make rescue efforts difficult.
“My car was used to convey us to a point where we met the primary school pupils and their teacher.
“From there, we walked for about one hour before they brought motorcycles. About 10 motorcycles were used to move us for more than four hours through bush paths they knew very well,” she recalled.
Reflecting on the psychological impact of the experience, Alamu admitted that returning to work in a rural community would be a difficult decision after nearly three decades in the teaching profession.
“I have worked for 28 years and I have just about four years to retire. Going to rural areas now will take the grace of God.
“Before this happened, I had already sacrificed a lot because of the distance. Now, coupled with this experience, I don’t know what will happen. I want to see my husband. When I get home, I can think of every other thing,” she said.
She further revealed that the male members of the group endured harsher treatment than the women, saying they were restrained throughout much of their captivity.
“The men had it worse than us. They were blindfolded, handcuffed and chained on their legs,” she said.
The rescued teachers and pupils are currently receiving medical attention and psychosocial support as they begin the process of recovering from one of the most traumatic school abductions recorded in Oyo State in recent years.
(Ripples)