Rachael Alamu, principal of Community High School in Ahoro-Esiele, Oriire Local Government Area, Oyo State, has detailed the 56-day ordeal she and her pupils endured after gunmen attacked three schools in the community on 15 May. Speaking at a Thanksgiving service at Antioch Baptist Church in Ogbomoso on Sunday, she recounted the terror of captivity, the fear of military airstrikes, and the death threats that marked the seventh week of their abduction.
Coordinated attack on three schools
Armed men raided Community High School, Baptist Nursery and Primary School (Yawota), and L.A. Primary School, abducting 46 pupils, teachers, and school officials. Two teachers—Michael Oyedokun and John Olaleye—were killed during the attack. Security operatives later rescued 44 victims on 10 July following an intelligence-led operation.
The seventh week: fear of airstrikes
Mrs Alamu described the seventh week as the most terrifying period. While they initially feared the bandits, the intensity of military air raids became the primary source of anxiety. “Apart from seeing the hand of God right from the beginning, the seventh week was the hardest for us all. The troops intensified their air raids. It was so intense and persistent that, at one point, the fear of the bandits became secondary. We were praying that missiles would not accidentally be dropped on us. We were so exposed, covered only with polythene bags and grass,” she said.
She noted that despite the fear, God consoled their hearts. The kidnappers had informed them the previous week that the governor had promised release before the following Friday, so they remained calm. However, when air raids started on Tuesday, the situation became furious. Towards the end of that week, the commander called her forward, and she trembled, knowing the implications.
Death threats and the sound of shovels
Mrs Alamu recounted an incident where the camp commander threatened to kill a hostage because the military airstrikes became unbearable for the kidnappers. She fell to the ground, rolling and begging the commander to spare lives, reminding him that two men had already been killed. “Unlike before, he became calm. He said, ‘Now that the government has been doing this, what do you want us to do?’ I said, ‘What you asked for is beyond any of the victims’ families. Just ask for what we can run around for.’ He said, ‘Okay.’ I thought that had passed. Later that night, we started hearing the sound of shovels. The two men were shouting; I was crying because we all knew what that meant.”
“They were about to bury another person. But to the glory of God, that night, they just asked us to move, because they could no longer remain in that location,” she added.
Prayer requests amid captivity
Mrs Alamu disclosed that aside from praying for their release, she made only two specific prayer requests while in captivity. “One, I prayed that I would not return to an empty house. I know my husband’s health. At a point, when they told me he had stopped communicating, I felt something had happened to him—he wouldn’t have done that on his own. When we were rescued, I was so persistent that one of the army officers had to put a call through so I could speak to him. I knew God had answered that prayer.”
“The other thing I specifically asked for was my health. The conditions were so terrible that anything could have happened. I just told God that my grave should not be in that forest. And God helped me.”
Miraculous release and gratitude
Describing the release as miraculous, Mrs Alamu thanked God for her safety and her return to her family. She expressed gratitude to the security operatives who conducted the rescue and to the community for their prayers and support throughout the 56-day ordeal.
