Rescued Oyo Teacher: Terrorists Freed Us Before Soldiers Arrived After 56 Days in Captivity

One of the teachers rescued after spending 56 days in captivity following the mass abduction of pupils and staff in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State has claimed that the kidnappers released the victims before security operatives eventually escorted them to safety.

The account by Zacchaeus Olatunde, one of the teachers abducted during the May attack on three schools in the area, provides one of the clearest firsthand descriptions yet of the captives' ordeal and the circumstances surrounding their freedom.

Speaking during a telephone interview with Nigeria Info FM, Olatunde said the victims were unexpectedly told by their captors that they were free to leave before they later encountered security personnel.

According to him, the captives remained blindfolded throughout their detention, making it impossible to know where they were being held.

"When we were there, we were blindfolded, not an ordinary blindfold. We didn't even know if we were in Nigeria or another country. We were just there.

"We were saying maybe the government had even forgotten us," he said.

Olatunde disclosed that the abductors spoke Hausa, Nupe, English and Yoruba and identified themselves as members of the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), insisting they were not Boko Haram.

"They said they are not Boko Haram. They said they are ISWAP. I was the last person who was captured in the school, and I was the last person that was released," he said.

The teacher said the captives were fed twice daily throughout their 56-day captivity, surviving mainly on rice, beans, onions, margarine and salt.

"We were fed twice a day, morning and evening. We ate only rice, little beans, onions, margarine and salt. Throughout our stay there, we did not taste pepper," he recalled.

He also said the kidnappers initially prohibited them from praying before later relaxing the restriction after about a month.

"They allowed us to pray, but they warned us not to mention the name of Jesus and not to pray aloud," he added.

According to Olatunde, the captives' freedom came unexpectedly when the leader of the group informed them they would be released.

He said he was the last to leave because a broken handcuff delayed his release, explaining that one of the kidnappers even suggested amputating his hand before another proposed using a rope to remove the restraint.

After leaving the camp, the freed victims trekked for between 40 minutes and one hour before the kidnappers arranged motorcycles to transport them closer to a nearby village.

The group then continued on foot for another one and a half hours before eventually meeting security personnel.

"We trekked for about 40 minutes to one hour before they provided motorcycles that took us close to the nearest village.

"They later stopped and told us they could not go further, so we trekked for another one and a half hours before we got to where the government people who came to rescue us were," he said.

Olatunde disclosed that the victims initially hesitated to approach the security personnel because the officials were speaking Hausa and arrived in buses without registration numbers.

According to him, the captives insisted on confirming the identities of the operatives before agreeing to follow them.

During the long walk out of the forest, Olatunde said he helped younger pupils cross rivers, carrying one young girl on his shoulders while using a stick to check the depth of the water before assisting other children and adults across safely.

The teacher also recounted how arthritis in his left leg prevented him from escaping during the initial attack on the schools, leading to his capture.

Surprisingly, he claimed medication provided by the kidnappers significantly eased the condition after years of unsuccessful treatment.

Despite surviving the ordeal, Olatunde said he had not received any financial assistance, adding that attention should now focus on supporting the affected schools and helping the victims rebuild their lives.

The pupils and teachers were abducted in May after heavily armed gunmen attacked schools in Oriire Local Government Area.

They regained their freedom after 56 days in captivity, with Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde announcing their release and directing that the victims receive medical treatment and psychosocial support.

The governor also called for a United Nations-backed investigation into the abduction, while the Presidency has maintained that Nigeria's security agencies provided a full account of the rescue operation.

SkyHigh News Hub reports that Olatunde's account has introduced a new dimension to public discussions surrounding the operation, as security agencies have previously described the victims freedom as the outcome of sustained pressure and coordinated rescue efforts.