The principal of Community High School in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State, Mrs. Rachael Alamu, has disclosed that the two teachers murdered by their abductors were deliberately killed in an attempt to force the government into meeting the kidnappers’ demands.
Alamu made the revelation on Monday while recounting the ordeal she, other teachers and dozens of schoolchildren endured during their 56-day captivity after they were formally received by Governor Seyi Makinde at the Oyo State Government House following their rescue.
Among those killed during the abduction were Mr. Michael Oyedokun, a Mathematics teacher who was beheaded while in captivity, and Mr. Esiyan Adegboye, 49, who was shot dead during the initial attack on the schools in Oriire Local Government Area. Adegboye was laid to rest in Ogbomoso on May 22.
Speaking to journalists, Alamu said the killings were calculated acts intended to increase pressure on authorities to concede to the kidnappers’ demands.
“There are times that we have hope that we will all come out alive. The terrorists killed Mr Michael, the first teacher, on the second day of our abduction and Deacon, the second teacher, was killed on the first Sunday of June.
“They killed them purposely because they thought it would force the hand of the government to provide them whatever they wanted. They already knew that the whole world was interested in our case. We have scars already, and we believe that God will heal us. We appreciate everyone that contributed to this success.”
The school principal also described the harsh conditions the victims endured while being held in the forest, saying both teachers and pupils spent most of the 56 days exposed to the elements as they struggled to survive.
According to her, the captives lived in the open, with little protection from the scorching sun and heavy rains, while teachers worked tirelessly to comfort the frightened children and sustain their hope of rescue.
“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 escaped physical assault during the ordeal, several of the younger pupils were repeatedly beaten by the kidnappers whenever they cried or made noise, adding to the trauma they suffered in captivity.
The rescued teachers and pupils were formally handed over to the Oyo State Government by the Federal Government after security agencies secured their release.
Video footage shared by Oyo Affairs showed the victims arriving at the State Secretariat under tight security, with military personnel escorting them from a vehicle into the government complex.
Their return followed the Federal Government’s announcement on Friday that a coordinated security operation had successfully rescued all the abducted pupils and teachers after more than 50 days in captivity.
Before Monday’s official reception, the victims had been receiving medical treatment and psychosocial care at the Military Hospital in Ibadan, where Governor Makinde visited them on Saturday as part of efforts to support their recovery from the traumatic experience.
(Ripples)