Oyo Abduction: ‘We Trekked for Hours Whenever Kidnappers Changed Hideouts’ – School Principal 

The Principal of Community Grammar School, Esinele, Mrs. Rachael Alamu, has recounted the harrowing ordeal she and other victims endured at the hands of kidnappers, revealing that they were forced to trek for several hours through the forest whenever their captors changed hideouts.

ThelensNG reports that the rescued victims of the abduction in Oyo State regained their freedom on Friday after spending 56 days in the kidnappers’ den.

Alamu, one of the rescued victims, made the disclosure while speaking with journalists on Monday during the official handover of the victims by security agencies to the Oyo State Government.

She revealed that the victims, including schoolchildren, spent most of their captivity in the open forest under harsh weather conditions, surviving through faith and hope that help would eventually come.

“It was not easy. We were in the forest, in the open, most of the time, under the sun or under the rain. We were children and adults together, but we kept going because there was no way out,” she said.

According to the principal, the belief that people were praying for them gave the victims the strength to endure the traumatic experience.

“We believed people were praying for us, and that really helped us. Sometimes, what we went through was enough to make someone break down completely, but somehow we survived,” she remarked.

Alamu disclosed that the kidnappers initially provided biscuits to the victims but later stopped as they continued moving from one hideout to another to evade security operatives.

“When the place was discovered, we had to move. That became one of our biggest challenges. Most times, the movement started around 7 p.m., and we would walk for three or four hours in the night,” she said.

“That is why you can see bruises all over our bodies. We fell many times while trekking through the forest.”

She explained that the youngest children in the group, identified as Walia, Salam, and Testimony, were often carried by the kidnappers because they could not keep up with the strenuous journeys, while the older children and adults were forced to walk.

“The younger ones were carried, but the rest of us had to trek. We fell several times because the journey was very difficult,” she stated.

The principal also revealed that the male victims suffered even harsher treatment, alleging that they were blindfolded, handcuffed, and chained on their legs throughout the captivity. “The men had it worse than us. They were blindfolded, handcuffed and chained on their legs.”

Recounting how the abduction unfolded, Alamu recalled that the victims were first transported to a location before being marched deep into the forest, where they remained throughout their captivity.

Despite the traumatic experience, the school principal expressed gratitude for her rescue, saying she was eager to reunite with her family after the ordeal.

“I just want to see my husband. When I get home, I can’t think of anything else,” Alamu added.

She further disclosed that she had served as principal of Community Grammar School, Esinele, for about four years before the incident.

While acknowledging that the long commute to the rural community had always required personal sacrifice, she added that nothing prepared her for the ordeal of being held captive in the forest.