There were tears, prayers, and songs of gratitude on Sunday as Professor Alamu and his wife, recently freed after spending 57 harrowing days in the captivity of bandits, led a moving family thanksgiving service in church.
The service marked the couple’s first public appearance together since her release, drawing relatives, friends, and sympathisers who gathered to celebrate what many described as a miracle of survival.
Clad in modest attire and visibly emotional, the reunited couple stood side by side, offering prayers of thanksgiving and reflecting quiet strength after weeks of uncertainty and fear. At several moments during the service, the atmosphere grew heavy with emotion as worshippers joined in prayers and songs, many overcome with relief at her safe return.
Observers noted the powerful symbolism of the moment a family that had endured one of the darkest chapters of their lives now choosing gratitude over grief.
“This is nothing short of divine intervention. After 57 days, we are just grateful she is alive and back home,” a family associate said.
The principal’s abduction had earlier sparked widespread concern and outrage, with renewed calls for urgent action against banditry and insecurity across the country. While details of her release remain closely guarded, the thanksgiving service provided a glimpse into the human cost of the crisis — and the resilience of those who survive it.
In Nigeria, thanksgiving services are often held to mark victory after trials, and for the Alamu family, Sunday’s gathering stood as a powerful testament to faith, endurance, and hope.
As the couple held hands during prayers, one message echoed through the church: after 57 days in captivity, freedom has come and with it, gratitude.