The principal of Community High School in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State, Mrs Rachael Alamu, has revealed that two abducted teachers were killed by their captors in an attempt to pressure the government into meeting the kidnappers’ demands.
Speaking to journalists on Monday after she and other rescued pupils and teachers were received by Governor Seyi Makinde at the Oyo State Government House, Alamu said the kidnappers believed the killings would force authorities to act more quickly.
She said Mathematics teacher Michael Oyedokun was beheaded on the second day of their captivity, while another teacher, Esiyan Adegboye, was shot dead during the attack on the schools. Adegboye was buried in Ogbomoso on May 22.
“They killed them purposely because they thought it would force the hand of the government to provide them whatever they wanted. They already knew that the whole world was interested in our case,” Alamu said.
Recounting the 56-day ordeal, the principal said the victims spent most of their time in the open forest, enduring harsh weather conditions while trying to protect and comfort the children.
“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. We believed people were praying for us, and that kept us going,” she added.
Alamu said she was not physically assaulted during the captivity but disclosed that some of the younger pupils were severely beaten whenever they cried or made noise.
The rescued pupils and teachers were formally handed over to the Oyo State Government by the Federal Government after receiving medical treatment and psychosocial support at the Military Hospital in Ibadan, where Governor Makinde visited them over the weekend.
The victims regained their freedom on Friday following a security operation that ended more than 50 days in captivity. Senator Sharafadeen Alli, the All Progressives Congress governorship candidate in Oyo State, also visited the rescued pupils and teachers at the military hospital.
