The principal of Community High School, Esiele, in Oriire Local Government, Ogbomoso Oyo State, Rachael Alamu, has described her release after 56 days in captivity as nothing short of a miracle.
Speaking during a thanksgiving service at Antioch Baptist Church in Ogbomoso on Sunday, Alamu recounted the traumatic experience she endured after being abducted alongside other victims, saying she relied on faith throughout the ordeal.
She said she prayed for two things while in captivity: that her husband would still be alive when she returned home and that she would not die in the forest.
“The release was miraculous. I cannot say this is what happened. But like the man in the Book of Luke who said, ‘I was blind, but now I can see,’ I know that I was incarcerated for a period of time, and at the right time God rescued me and brought me back to my people,” she said.
Alamu revealed that the final week of their captivity was the most difficult as intensified military air raids around the kidnappers’ camp left both the captives and their abductors in fear.
She said the bombardments became so severe that the victims were more worried about being hit by missiles than by the armed men holding them.
The principal recalled that the kidnappers became enraged after hearing claims that the hostages would soon be freed. She said the camp commander threatened to kill one of the captives, prompting her to plead with him to reduce his ransom demand instead.
Later that night, the captives heard digging sounds and feared another execution was imminent. However, they were eventually ordered to relocate because the kidnappers believed their hideout was no longer safe.
Alamu also described the harsh living conditions in the forest, saying they often went hungry because the kidnappers avoided lighting fires for fear that smoke would reveal their location to security forces.
Gunmen attacked Baptist Nursery and Primary School, Yawota, Community Grammar School, Esiele, and LA Primary School in Oriire LGA on May 15, abducting 39 pupils and seven teachers, including Alamu. Two people were killed during the attack, while one abducted teacher, Michael Oyedokun, was later murdered in captivity.
The mass abduction sparked nationwide outrage and protests, leading to the closure of schools in the affected communities. The remaining hostages regained their freedom on July 10 after spending 56 days in captivity.
