One of the teachers rescued after spending almost two months in the kidnappers' den in Oyo State has finally addressed one of the internet's biggest arguments about their release. Zachery Olatunde, who was among the 44 pupils and teachers rescued after 56 days in captivity, revealed that their abductors actually washed their clothes from time to time because the captives had started smelling.
Teacher Dismisses Staged Kidnapping Claims
Speaking in a video shared by Oyo Matters, Olatunde said many people on social media wrongly concluded that the victims looked "too neat" after they regained freedom, leading to claims that the kidnapping was staged. "Those saying the abduction was staged don't know what they're talking about. Would anyone kill two people if it was staged?" he asked.
According to him, there was a simple explanation for the victims' appearance. "The abductors are the ones that wash the clothes for us a few times while we were in captivity, when they notice that we are already smelling. Don't they (critics) see how rough and dirty we the teachers were? Didn't they see how rough our beards were, like that of a bush rat?"
Two Lives Lost During Ordeal
The teacher said those pushing the conspiracy theory have no idea what the victims actually endured in the forest. He pointed out that two people lost their lives during the ordeal, asking why anyone would think such a painful experience was arranged. "Those saying the kidnapping was staged don't know what they are saying. If it was staged, would they have killed two people? If it was staged, what we went through in that place was not good at all."
The incident turned tragic after Joel Adesiyan, the assistant headmaster of L.A. Primary School, was shot dead while trying to escape. Days later, Mathematics teacher Michael Oyedokun was reportedly beheaded by the kidnappers.
Matching Ankara Outfits Explained
Olatunde also cleared the air on another issue that got people talking online — why many of the rescued primary school pupils appeared in matching ankara outfits. According to him, there was nothing suspicious about it. He explained that private primary schools in Oyo State now wear native attire on Fridays in line with a government directive, which was why the children were dressed that way on the day they were abducted.
"They said the children were wearing matching ankara. Are they not in Oyo State? Don't they know that the government has ordered that schoolchildren should be wearing native attires on Friday? Primary school pupils in private schools now wear native wears on Friday. We the teachers wore native attire, but secondary school pupils wore school uniform," Olatunde clarified.
Details of the Kidnapping and Rescue
The victims were abducted on May 15, 2026, after armed men invaded three schools in the Ahoro-Esiele and Yawota communities of Oriire Local Government Area, near Ogbomoso. A total of 46 pupils and teachers were taken during the attack. The remaining captives regained their freedom on July 10, 2026, following a coordinated rescue operation involving the Nigerian Army, the Police, the Department of State Services (DSS), the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Amotekun Corps and local vigilante groups.
The Presidency has maintained that no ransom or concession was paid to secure their release. Olatunde appealed to Nigerians to stop spreading false narratives about the incident. "So those that are saying it was staged are all telling lies. It was not staged. It was real. So please stop saying those types of things."
