Survivor Recounts 56 Days in Captivity, Reveals How Oyo School Teachers Were Killed

A teacher who survived the 56-day abduction of staff and pupils from a school in Orire Local Government Area of Oyo State has narrated his ordeal in captivity, revealing how two of his colleagues were killed by their abductors.

The survivor, Mr. Zacheaus Olatunde, said the abductors accused Mr. Michael Oyedokun of disobeying their orders after discovering that he had kept his mobile phone instead of surrendering it when they arrived at the camp.

According to Olatunde, the group's commander ordered Oyedokun's execution, insisting that his disobedience must be punished. He said the teacher was taken away the following day and never returned.

He also disclosed that another victim, Deacon John Olaleye, was later killed after the abductors claimed security forces had ignored their warning to stay away from the area where they were being held.

Olatunde said the captives were kept in chains and handcuffed throughout their 56 days in captivity, while their eyes were often blindfolded. He added that they were moved between different camps and were subjected to physical abuse.

He said the abductors mostly fed them rice with palm oil, sometimes without salt, and only occasionally provided meat.

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The survivor further claimed that the kidnappers told them their primary demand was not ransom but the release of some of their detained members. According to him, the group later released the captives after informing them that security forces had arrested some of their relatives, expressing hope that freeing the hostages would facilitate the release of their family members.

Olatunde said the abductors directed the victims on the route to follow until they met security personnel waiting to receive them. He added that many of the children were too weak to walk, forcing him to carry some of them across streams before they reached safety.

He also said security officials later showed him photographs of suspected kidnappers, and he identified one of them. According to him, the officers informed the victims that eight suspects had been arrested while others had been killed during security operations.

Reflecting on the ordeal, Olatunde expressed gratitude for surviving the abduction but lamented that his colleagues, Michael Oyedokun and John Olaleye, did not return alive.