One of the recently rescued teachers from the Oriire school abduction, Mr. Zacchaeus Olatunde, has strongly condemned Nigerians spreading social media conspiracy theories that their 56-day captivity was staged.
Teacher Denies Staged Abduction Claims
Olatunde was among the 44 teachers and pupils successfully rescued last Friday following a joint military and security operation in Oyo State. The victims were initially seized on May 15, 2026, when heavily armed terrorists launched a coordinated assault on three separate schools within the Oriire Local Government Area.
In a video circulating widely across digital platforms, Olatunde visibly criticized the lack of empathy from critics, vehemently dismissing rumors that the mass abduction was a political hoax. He clarified that the matching native attire worn by the pupils upon their release was simply a reflection of Oyo State's standard Friday school uniform policy. He further explained that they appeared relatively clean because the kidnappers forced them to wash their clothes once they began to emit an odor.
Emotional Plea for Understanding
“Those saying that our abduction was staged don't know what they are saying. If they staged it, then why did they kill two of our colleagues? If it were staged, all the things we went through, we wouldn't have gone through them,” Olatunde said.
He addressed specific criticisms: “Some persons have said the abducted pupils were wearing ankara…are they not in Oyo state? Don't they know that the state government ordered all students and teachers to wear ankara every Friday to school?”
Explaining the Clean Appearance
Olatunde also responded to claims that the victims looked too neat after weeks in captivity. “Some have said that the clothes the pupils were wearing were neat. The people who kidnapped us washed their clothes every now and then and even allowed us to have our bath whenever they noticed we were smelling,” he explained.
He concluded: “Those saying our abduction was staged are all telling lies…It was not staged…It was real.”
