How we lost our colleagues in forest – Rescued Oyo principal recounts trauma

The Principal of Community High School, Ahoro-Esiele, Mrs. Alamu Folawe, has recounted the traumatic 56-day ordeal she and other abducted teachers and pupils endured in captivity.

She revealed that the kidnappers deliberately killed two of their colleagues in a bid to pressure the government.

Folawe spoke on Monday during the official handover of the rescued victims to Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde by the Nigerian Army, describing their captivity as a harrowing experience filled with fear, uncertainty and the constant threat of death.

“We’re grateful to God. On May 15, a Friday that began like every other day ended in chaos. We spent 56 days in the bush.

“It was a terrible experience, but we thank God for preserving our lives. We went through so much,” she said.

According to the principal, the kidnappers constantly subjected the captives to psychological torture, repeatedly telling them that the government had abandoned them and was no longer interested in securing their release.

“What gave us hope was knowing that Nigerians were praying for us. Many times, they tried to break our spirit with fear.

“They kept telling us the government didn’t care about us because we were not important. But despite everything, we held on to the hope that we would return home alive,” she recalled.

Folawe disclosed that the abductors executed two members of the group in an attempt to force the government to meet their demands.