“They Killed Oyedokun, Olaleye to Force Government’s Hand” — Rescued Oyo Principal Recounts 56-Day Ordeal

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“They told us the government had abandoned us.”

Those haunting words echoed through the forest for 56 agonising days as Rachael Alamu, principal of Community High School, Ahoro-Esiele, and dozens of schoolchildren and teachers endured captivity at the hands of kidnappers in Oyo State.

Speaking on Monday during the official handover of the 44 rescued victims to Governor Seyi Makinde at the Oyo State Government House, Ibadan, Mrs Alamu recounted the emotional and psychological torture they suffered while being held hostage.

“For 56 days, we went through a harrowing experience,” she said. “Many times, they used fear to subdue us. At some point, they told us the government was no longer interested in our case because it did not value us.”

The kidnappers’ psychological warfare was compounded by brutality. Hope began to fade after one teacher Deacon John Olaleye was killed shortly after the abduction, while another, Michael Oyedokun, was beheaded in captivity. The gruesome video of his killing was later circulated by the abductors in an apparent bid to force the authorities into negotiating.

“They killed them purposely because they believed that would force the government to do whatever they wanted,” Mrs Alamu said, fighting back emotion.

Yet, despite the fear and loss, she said the captives never imagined the scale of efforts being made to rescue them.

“It was until we got out that we saw that the whole world was interested in our case,” she said. “We have scars already, but we believe it is now time to heal.”

The rescue, however, did not come easily.
General Officer Commanding (GOC) 2 Division of the Nigerian Army, Major General Chinedu Ralph-Nnebeife, revealed that security agencies deliberately refused to negotiate with the kidnappers despite mounting pressure.

Instead, troops launched an intensive ground operation after aerial surveillance proved ineffective due to the thick forest canopy.

“We deployed drones and the Air Force conducted surveillance flights, but because of the density of the forest, sunlight could hardly penetrate some areas,” he explained. “The operation therefore became a ground operation deep inside the forest.”

According to the GOC, the mission evolved into a massive multi-agency operation involving the Armed Forces, intelligence agencies, the Air Force, Police, DSS, NSCDC, Amotekun Corps, local hunters and vigilantes, who worked together to block escape routes, dismantle the kidnappers’ logistics network and track their collaborators.
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We have always maintained that we will never yield to terrorists’ wishes, and we will never do that,” he declared.

He added that the objective was not only to secure the victims’ freedom but also to destroy the criminal network behind the abductions.
“We are not giving up on them. It is not over. We must see the end of terrorists operating in that region.”

The operation came at a painful cost. A minute’s silence was observed for two teachers and security personnel who lost their lives during the abduction and rescue efforts. The GOC also disclosed that an officer and a soldier were killed during the rescue operation, while several others sustained injuries.

One of the fallen officers, he revealed, was buried on the very day the operation recorded its breakthrough.

The 44 victims were abducted on May 15 after gunmen attacked three schools in Oriire Local Government Area, an incident that shocked the nation and disrupted academic activities across Oyo State.

Following their handover to Governor Makinde, the rescued pupils and teachers were immediately moved to the Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH) Teaching Hospital for comprehensive medical evaluation, treatment and psychological support. They are expected to remain under medical observation for about 48 hours before being reunited with their families.

The victims were accompanied to the hospital by the Oyo State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Oluwaserimi Ajetunmobi Niyi Alonge, alongside other senior government officials, as part of the state’s efforts to ensure their physical and emotional recovery after nearly two months in captivity.

Monday’s reunion marked the end of a 56-day nightmare