By Ayobami Okerinde
The principal of Community High School, Ahoro-Esiele, Mrs. Alamu Folawe, on Monday recounted the traumatic 56-day ordeal she and other abducted teachers and pupils endured in captivity, saying the kidnappers deliberately killed two of their colleagues to pressure the government while leaving the survivors with lasting emotional scars.
Folawe spoke during the official handover of the rescued victims to Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde by the Army, describing their time in captivity as a harrowing experience marked by fear, uncertainty and the constant threat of death.
“We’re grateful to God. On May 15, a Friday that started well ended in chaos for us, and for 56 days we were in the bush. It was a harrowing experience, but we thank God for seeing us through. We went through a lot,” she said.
The principal said the abductors repeatedly used fear and psychological intimidation to weaken the captives, telling them that the government had abandoned them and no longer cared about their fate.
“A relief to us is that Nigerians were praying for us. Many times, they used fear to subdue us. At one point they told us the government wasn’t interested in our case anymore because they didn’t value us. But there were times we held on to hope that we would come out alive,” she recalled.
She revealed that the kidnappers executed two captives in an attempt to force the government’s hand.
“Mr. Michael was killed on the second day, while Deacon was killed on the first Sunday in June. They killed them purposely because they felt that would force the government to give them whatever they wanted,” she said.
“It was until we got out that we discovered the whole world was on our case. We have scars already, but we believe with time we will heal,” she said.
She expressed gratitude to President Bola Tinubu, Governor Seyi Makinde, security agencies involved in the rescue operation and Nigerians whose prayers and support sustained hope throughout their captivity.
The victims were abducted on May 15 when armed bandits attacked Community High School, Ahoro-Esiele, as well as Baptist Nursery and Primary School, Yawota, and LA Primary School in Ogbomoso, all in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State.
The attack claimed the lives of an assistant headmaster, Joel Adesiyan, and a commercial motorcyclist, prompting the Oyo State Government to shut schools in four local government areas as security agencies intensified rescue efforts.
The presidency announced on Friday that all the abducted pupils and teachers had been rescued in a coordinated operation. Presidential spokesman Bayo Onanuga said eight suspected kidnappers were arrested and are in the custody of the Department of State Services, while several others were neutralised during the operation. He added that no ransom or prisoner exchange was made to secure the victims’ release.
