Oyo School Principal Recounts 56 Days in Captivity, "Blindfolded, Handcuffed, Chained On their Legs"
- The principal of the abducted school group, Mrs Rachael Alamu, described 56 days of open-forest captivity marked by nighttime treks lasting up to four hours through dense bush
- Alamu revealed that young pupils were beaten and gagged with cloth whenever they cried, while male teachers were blindfolded, handcuffed, and chained throughout the ordeal
- The principal and rescued victims were formally handed over to Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde in Ibadan on Monday following a security rescue operation
Legit.ng journalist Adekunle Dada has over 8 years of experience covering metro, government policy, and international issues
Ibadan, Oyo State - Mrs Rachael Alamu, the principal of the secondary school abducted along with teachers and pupils in the Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State, has described in detail the conditions her group endured during 56 days in the hands of kidnappers.
The rescued school principal painted a grim picture of beatings, forced night marches, and life exposed to the elements in an open forest.
Source: UGC
As reported by The Punch, Alamu spoke on Monday, July 13, 2026, after the rescued victims were formally presented to Governor Seyi Makinde at the Governor's Office, Secretariat.
How kidnappers treated Oyo school abductors
The principal said the captives spent the bulk of their time outdoors, exposed to sun and rain, while trying to keep the children calm and alive.
"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."
The principal added that faith and the belief that people were praying for them sustained the group throughout.
She confirmed that none of the victims was sexually assaulted during the period of captivity.
The harshest treatment fell on the youngest children, who were beaten and gagged whenever they made noise.
"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."
Alamu said she was not physically assaulted, but the male members of the group faced a different form of cruelty.
"The men had it worse than us. They were blindfolded, handcuffed and chained on their legs."
Each time the kidnappers suspected their location had been identified by security forces, the entire group was forced to relocate under darkness.
"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."
While the youngest children were carried by their captors, older pupils had to complete the exhausting treks on foot.
"They fell many times. It was very difficult."
Alamu also described the initial hours after the abduction, when her car was used to transport the group to a point where they joined primary school pupils and their teacher.
From there, roughly ten motorcycles ferried the captives for more than four hours along bush paths before they were eventually taken deeper into the forest on foot.
The principal disclosed that she has 28 years of teaching experience and approximately four years until retirement.
She, however, acknowledged that returning to a rural posting would now demand extraordinary resolve.
"Going to rural areas now will take the grace of God."
Source: Original
Oyo abduction: 8 kidnappers arrested, many killed
Recall that Bayo Onanuga confirmed that eight kidnappers were arrested and handed over to the DSS following a rescue operation that freed abducted schoolchildren.
Security agencies neutralised some of the kidnappers during the operation, and a kingpin whose release was demanded by the abductors remains under prosecution.
Onanuga said the government made no concessions to secure the release, adding that a full security briefing would follow.
Slain Oyo teacher's family reacts after rescue
Meanwhile, Legit.ng also reported that the family of Michael Olugbade Oyedokun, killed during the Oriire school abduction in Oyo State, reacted after rescued pupils and teachers were freed on Friday
Oyedokun's niece, Oluwabukolami, said her family could not celebrate alongside others because her uncle would never return home.
Oyedokun and fellow teacher Esiyan Adegboye were killed when gunmen raided three schools in Oriire Local Government Area on May 15.
Source: Legit.ng
