Mrs. Rachael Folawe Alamu, the rescued principal of Community High School, Ahoro-Esiele, in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State, has revealed that the kidnappers transported the abducted pupils and teachers for more than four hours on motorcycles into a dense forest after their abduction.
She made the disclosure on Monday during the official handover of the rescued victims to Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde by the Nigerian Army in Ibadan.
Recounting the ordeal, Mrs. Alamu said the terrorists initially used her vehicle to transport the victims before forcing them to continue the journey on foot.
According to her, they later arrived at a location where they met another group of abducted pupils and teachers from a different school before the journey into the forest continued.
“The terrorists used my car to convey us to a point, and that’s where we met the primary schoolchildren and teachers who had been abducted from the other school.
“We walked for one hour, and they brought 10 motorcycles, and we rode for more than four hours on uncharted paths, but the terrorists knew their way,” she said.
She explained that the journey took them deep into a thick forest where they were held captive for several weeks under harsh conditions.
The victims were abducted on May 15, 2026, during an attack on schools in Oriire Local Government Area and eventually regained their freedom on July 10 following a coordinated rescue operation by the Nigerian military and other security agencies.
The principal’s account adds further insight into the difficult conditions endured by the victims throughout their 56 days in captivity, as security agencies continue investigations into the kidnapping and efforts to dismantle the criminal network behind the attack.
