Oyo: Children were beaten, we were forced to trek through forest at night – School principal

By Adeola Badru

The principal of the secondary school abducted alongside teachers and pupils in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State, Mrs. Racheal Alamu, has recounted the harrowing 56-day ordeal in captivity, revealing that children were beaten into silence, male teachers were chained and blindfolded, and the victims were repeatedly forced to undertake dangerous midnight treks through forests to evade security operatives.

Mrs. Alamu spoke on Monday after she and the rescued teachers and pupils were officially handed over to Governor Seyi Makinde at the Governor’s Office, Secretariat, Ibadan.

Describing life in captivity, Alamu said the victims spent most of the 56 days in the open forest, exposed to harsh weather conditions while struggling to keep the children alive 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.“