Oriire Abduction: Children Were Beaten, Teachers Chained — Principal Recounts 56-Day Ordeal

The principal abducted alongside teachers and pupils during the Oriire Local Government school attack in Oyo State, Mrs. Racheal Alamu, has narrated the harrowing 56-day ordeal in captivity, revealing that children were beaten into silence while male teachers were chained and blindfolded.

Speaking after she and the rescued victims were formally handed over to Governor Seyi Makinde in Ibadan, Alamu described life in captivity as physically exhausting and emotionally traumatic.

According to her, the victims spent most of the period in the open forest, exposed to harsh weather conditions while struggling to care for frightened children.

“You can only imagine it. We were in the forest, under the sun and rain with the children. We kept believing that God would rescue us,” she said.

Alamu disclosed that although she was not physically assaulted, many of the younger pupils suffered severe beatings whenever they cried or made noise.

“The kidnappers hated noise because they believed it could attract attention. The youngest children suffered the most. They tied pieces of cloth around their mouths and beat them,” she explained.

She added that the male teachers endured harsher treatment, saying they were blindfolded, handcuffed and chained throughout the captivity.

Despite the harsh conditions, Alamu said none of the victims was sexually assaulted.

She further revealed that the abductors constantly relocated them whenever they suspected security forces were closing in, forcing the captives to undertake dangerous nighttime treks through dense forests.

“When our location was discovered, they moved us. We usually started walking around 7 or 8 p.m. and sometimes trekked for four hours. Many children fell repeatedly, leaving bruises all over their bodies,” she said.

A relative of one of the rescued pupils also disclosed that the victims survived mainly on cocoyam, noodles and water from a nearby waterfall during their captivity.

Meanwhile, security sources said the rescue followed weeks of coordinated intelligence gathering involving the Nigerian Army, Navy, Air Force, Police, DSS, National Counter Terrorism Centre and other agencies.

The operation claimed the lives of at least two military personnel, including Lieutenant Felix Ademe Isaac, who was killed after his convoy struck improvised explosive devices during an early assault.

Retired military officers praised the operation, describing it as a clear demonstration of effective inter-agency cooperation, intelligence sharing and disciplined execution in combating terrorism while safeguarding innocent lives.