They Gave Me a Drug, Rescued Oyo Teacher Narrates Strange Experience with Abductors
- Rescued Oyo teacher Zacchaeus Olatunde said a drug given to him by his kidnappers unexpectedly relieved the arthritis that had troubled him for years
- Olatunde recounted spending 56 days in captivity, revealing that the victims were permanently blindfolded and eventually released before meeting security personnel
- The teacher also narrated how the captives initially feared the security team that received them because the officers spoke Hausa and travelled in unmarked buses
A teacher rescued after spending 56 days in the custody of kidnappers in Oyo state has recounted how a drug given to him by his captors unexpectedly relieved a long-standing health condition during the ordeal.
Zacchaeus Olatunde, one of the teachers abducted alongside pupils from schools in Oriire Local Government Area, said the medication he received for arthritis in his left leg eased the pain after years of unsuccessful treatment.
Source: Facebook
How did kidnappers treat rescued Oyo teacher?
Speaking during a telephone interview with Nigeria Info FM, Olatunde described the experience as one of the many unexpected moments he encountered while in captivity.
"The leg that I had spent so much money treating got better after they gave me one drug," he said.
Olatunde explained that the arthritis had slowed him down when the attackers stormed the schools, making it impossible for him to escape.
"I had arthritis on my left leg and couldn't run. I hid under the grass because my clothes blended with it. A student who refused to leave me looked in my direction, and that was how their commander noticed me and ordered me to stand up," he said.
He said the captives remained blindfolded throughout the 56 days and had no idea where they were being held.
"It is difficult to say on air, but I will just say what I can. When we were there, we were blindfolded, not an ordinary blindfold. We didn't even know if we were in Nigeria or another country. We were just there. We were saying maybe the government had even forgotten us," he said.
What happened before the victims regained freedom?
According to Olatunde, the kidnappers eventually informed the group that they had been freed before directing them towards a route leading out of the forest.
"Until the last day when their commander came and was smiling and laughing and said we should thank God that we had been freed. The next thing they said was that we should open our eyes," he said.
He added that the group trekked for nearly an hour before motorcycles provided by the kidnappers transported them close to a nearby village. They later walked again until they encountered security personnel.
The teacher recalled that the victims initially feared the security operatives because they were speaking Hausa and arrived in unmarked buses.
"When we saw the buses, we were afraid because the people were speaking Hausa. We even asked them to show us their identity cards. They kept assuring us that the government sent them."
Olatunde also disclosed that teachers were unable to bathe or wash their clothes throughout the period in captivity. He said the abductors fed them twice daily with simple meals consisting mainly of rice, beans, onions, margarine and salt.
The victims were abducted in May when armed men attacked Community Grammar School, Baptist Nursery and Primary School, and L.A. Primary School in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State. They regained their freedom after 56 days, with the Federal Government maintaining that the rescue operation was carried out without paying ransom.
Why rescued Oyo schoolchildren wore native clothes, teacher explains
Previously, Legit.ng reported that A teacher who regained freedom after spending 56 days in captivity following the abduction of pupils and staff from three schools in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State has dismissed claims that the incident was staged, explaining why the rescued children were seen wearing matching native attire.
Zachery Olatunde, one of the 44 victims rescued during a security operation, said the pupils were dressed in traditional clothing because they were kidnapped on a Friday, the day designated by the Oyo State Government for primary school pupils in private schools to wear native attire.
Source: Legit.ng
