The principal of Community High School, Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State, Mrs Rachael Alamu, has revealed that the kidnappers who abducted teachers and pupils from the school executed two teachers in a desperate attempt to pressure the government into meeting their demands.
Alamu disclosed this on Monday while speaking with journalists after she, other rescued teachers and pupils were formally received by Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde at the Government House, Ibadan.
The victims regained their freedom after spending 56 days in captivity following a military-led rescue operation.
The abductors killed a Mathematics teacher, Mr Michael Oyedokun, who was beheaded on the second day of captivity, while another teacher, Mr Esiyan Adegboye, was shot dead during the attack on the school.
Adegboye was buried in Ogbomoso on May 22.
Explaining why the kidnappers murdered the teachers, Alamu said the killings were intended to mount pressure on the government by demonstrating that the abductors were willing to carry out their threats.
“There were times we believed all of us would return alive. But the terrorists killed Mr Michael on the second day of our abduction, while Deacon Adegboye was killed on the first Sunday in June.
“They killed them deliberately because they believed it would force the government to give them whatever they wanted. They knew the whole world was following our case,” she said.
The principal, however, expressed gratitude to God, security agencies and Nigerians who prayed and supported efforts that eventually led to their rescue.
“We already have scars, but we believe God will heal us. We appreciate everyone who contributed to our rescue,” she added.
Alamu also recounted the harrowing conditions the victims endured during the nearly two months in captivity, saying they spent most of the period in the open forest under harsh weather conditions.
“It was not easy. We lived in the forest, in the open, under the rain and sun with the children. We had no option but to endure because there was no way out. We believed only God could save us, and we knew people were praying for us,” she said.
She disclosed that although she escaped physical assault, several of the younger pupils were brutally beaten whenever they cried or made noise, as the kidnappers feared security operatives could detect their location.
The rescued principal said the abductors repeatedly relocated the victims through thick forests whenever they suspected security forces were closing in, forcing adults and children to embark on exhausting night journeys.
PLATFORM TIMES reports that the rescued pupils and teachers were officially handed over to the Oyo State Government by the Federal Government on Monday after receiving medical treatment and psychosocial support at the Military Hospital in Ibadan.
Governor Makinde had earlier visited the victims at the hospital on Saturday, while the All Progressives Congress governorship candidate in the state, Senator Sharafadeen Alli, also paid them a visit following their rescue.
The abduction of the teachers and pupils on May 15 sparked nationwide outrage and renewed concerns over the persistent wave of kidnappings targeting schools and rural communities across Nigeria.
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