A teacher who spent nearly two months in the custody of armed kidnappers after an attack on a secondary school in Oyo State has narrated the circumstances surrounding his abduction and eventual release.
Mr. Olatunde Olutuye Zaccheaus, a school counsellor who was among those taken during the invasion of a school in Ori Ire Local Government Area, said he endured 56 days in captivity before regaining his freedom alongside other victims.
Speaking during a telephone interview on a radio programme on Friday, Zaccheaus described his survival as a miracle, saying he was the last victim to be captured and eventually the last person to be released by the abductors.
The teacher recounted that the attack began suddenly while activities were ongoing at the school.
According to him, the first sign of danger was the sound of motorcycles approaching the premises before gunshots rang out.
“So what we just heard, we just heard the movement of a bike. Immediately we heard a shot of guns. They were shooting things sporadically,” he said.
He recalled that frightened students immediately began raising the alarm as the attackers stormed the area.
“Our students, the voice we were hearing from our students, they were saying, bandits, bandits, bandits, bandits,” he added.
Zaccheaus said he attempted to escape with other students but encountered difficulties because of a long-standing arthritis condition affecting his left leg.
According to him, the injury worsened after he jumped through a window while trying to flee.
