The principal of Community High School, Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State, Mrs Rachael Alamu, has disclosed that the kidnappers who abducted her, teachers and pupils deliberately killed two members of staff to pressure the government into meeting their demands.
Alamu made the revelation on Monday after she and the rescued pupils and teachers were formally received by Governor Seyi Makinde at the Oyo State Government House in Ibadan, following their release after 56 days in captivity.
According to the principal, the abductors believed the execution of the teachers would compel the authorities to act quickly because of the widespread public attention generated by the abduction.
“They killed them purposely because they thought it would force the hand of the government to provide them whatever they wanted,” she said.
“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 slain teachers were Mathematics teacher Michael Oyedokun, who was beheaded on the second day of the abduction, and Esiyan Adegboye, a 49-year-old teacher who was shot during the attack on the school. Adegboye was buried in Ogbomoso on May 22.
Alamu said the victims endured extremely harsh conditions throughout their captivity, spending most of the 56 days in the open forest with little protection from the elements.
She explained that they were exposed to both scorching sunlight and heavy rainfall while struggling to keep the abducted children safe and emotionally stable.
“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,” she said.
“We knew it was only God that could help us, and we believed people were praying for us. That kept us going.”
Although the principal said she was not physically assaulted during the ordeal, she disclosed that several of the younger pupils suffered repeated beatings whenever they cried or made noise, as the kidnappers attempted to keep them silent.
The rescued pupils and teachers were handed over to the Oyo State government by the federal government after security agencies secured their freedom following more than 50 days in captivity.
Before Monday’s official reception, the victims had been receiving medical care and psychosocial support at the Military Hospital in Ibadan. Governor Makinde visited them at the facility on Saturday to assess their condition.
A video circulated by Oyo Affairs showed the rescued victims arriving at the Oyo State Secretariat in a security convoy.
The footage captured them alighting from a van while heavily armed military personnel escorted them into the government premises.
Also, the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate in Oyo State, Senator Sharafadeen Alli, visited the rescued pupils and teachers at the Military Hospital, where he commended the efforts that led to their release and wished them a speedy recovery from the traumatic experience.
The victims regained their freedom after a prolonged rescue operation that drew national attention and renewed concerns over the safety of schools and communities in parts of Oyo State.
