Kemi Olaitan in Ibadan
Tension continued to mount over the abduction of teachers and school children in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State, as another disturbing video surfaced yesterday showing the abducted Principal, Mrs. Alamu, pleading for urgent intervention from the federal government and other stakeholders.
Alamu in the new video released nearly two weeks after the abduction, appealed to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Governor Seyi Makinde, the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) and the All Nigeria Confederation of Principals of Secondary Schools (ANCOPSS) to urgently negotiate with the abductors to prevent further tragedy.
The visibly distressed school principal said the abducted teachers and children were being subjected to harsh conditions in captivity, warning that the kidnappers were becoming increasingly impatient.
She said in the video, “The terrorists are already getting impatient. The teachers and the children are still under the sun and the rain, while we are in the cold.
“The government should not use force. All they need to do is call and negotiate with them. We are begging you, don’t let them waste our lives. Please help us, don’t forget us here, answer them on time.”
The latest appeal has heightened fears among residents and families of the victims, amid ongoing rescue efforts by security agencies in the Ogbomoso axis of the state.
Alamu was among the teachers abducted during the coordinated attacks on Community High School, Ahoro-Esinele, and Yawota Baptist Nursery and Primary School in Oriire Local Government Area.
The incident, which occurred on May 15, also involved the abduction of dozens of pupils and students, while a teacher and an okada rider were reportedly killed during the attacks.
The Oyo State government had earlier assured residents that security agencies were intensifying both kinetic and non-kinetic operations to secure the safe release of the abductees.
Governor Makinde also confirmed that some operatives involved in the rescue mission sustained injuries after encountering Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) allegedly planted by the kidnappers around the Old Oyo National Park area where the victims were believed to be held.
