The principal of a school in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State, Mrs Alamu, has shared an emotional account of her time in captivity after being abducted by bandits, describing how faith kept her going during the traumatic ordeal.
Speaking during a thanksgiving service at her church alongside members of her family, Mrs Alamu recounted the difficult weeks she spent in the kidnappers’ camp, saying she constantly prayed that she would not lose her life in the forest.
According to her, the seventh week of their captivity was the most frightening. She said intense military bombardments in the area left the captives fearing they could be struck by missiles even before the bandits carried out their threats.
Mrs Alamu alleged that the kidnappers became enraged after hearing that the government had promised to secure their release but had allegedly failed to fulfil that promise.
She recalled being summoned by the leader of the camp, who allegedly threatened to kill one of the captives.
“The seventh week was the hardest for us all. The commander called me and said, ‘See what your government has done. I’m going to kill one of you today.’ I just fell on the ground crying and begging him,” she said.
She further revealed that the captives later heard the sound of shovels, leaving many of them convinced someone was about to be buried alive. However, the kidnappers eventually ordered them to relocate to another camp after reportedly becoming worried that security forces had traced their location.
Reflecting on the experience, Mrs Alamu said she repeatedly prayed that she would not die in the forest and thanked God for preserving her life despite falling seriously ill during the period of captivity.
“I told God that my grave should not be numbered in the forest. At one point, I became seriously ill, but after taking two tablets of paracetamol, it was as if I had never been sick. The release was miraculous,” she added.
Her testimony moved members of the congregation, many of whom joined her family in expressing gratitude for the safe return of the victims after the weeks-long ordeal.
The incident has once again drawn attention to the persistent security challenges facing parts of the country, particularly the growing threat of kidnappings targeting schools and communities.
Watch the video below…
How did this story make you feel?
Join the conversation
Share a thoughtful response. Submissions may be reviewed before appearing.
