Children Were Beaten, We Were Forced To Trek Through Forest at Night – School principal

The principal of the secondary school abducted alongside teachers and pupils in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State, Mrs Racheal Alamu, has shared the chilling details of their 56-day ordeal in captivity, describing how children were beaten into silence, male teachers were chained and blindfolded, and the victims were forced to trek through dense forests at night to avoid security operatives.

Mrs Alamu recounted the traumatic experience on Monday after she, the rescued teachers and pupils were formally received by Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde at the Governor’s Office, Secretariat, Ibadan.

Speaking to journalists, the visibly emotional principal said the victims spent almost two months in the open forest, enduring scorching sunshine, heavy rainfall and harsh living conditions while doing everything possible to protect the children under their care.

“You can only imagine it. It was not easy. We were in the forest, in the open, most of the time, under the sun and under the rain, with the children. But we kept going because there was no way out.

“We knew it was only God that could help us, and we believed people were praying for us. That kept us going,” she said.

Alamu revealed that although she escaped physical assault, many of the younger pupils suffered severe beatings whenever they cried or made noise.

“Personally, I was not beaten, but some of the children were beaten. What they hated most was noise because they believed it could attract attention.

“The youngest children suffered the most. They would tie their mouths with pieces of cloth and beat them very well,” she recalled.

According to her, the male teachers endured even harsher treatment throughout the ordeal.

“The men had it worse than us. They were blindfolded, handcuffed and chained on their legs,” she said.

Despite the physical and emotional trauma, Alamu said none of the captives was sexually assaulted during their time in captivity.

“There was no form of molestation,” she added.

She further disclosed that the kidnappers repeatedly changed locations whenever they suspected security forces were closing in, forcing the captives—including young children—to embark on exhausting treks through the forest under the cover of darkness.

“Whenever the place was discovered, we had to move, and that usually started around seven or eight at night. Sometimes we walked for three to four hours. That is why you see bruises on our bodies,” she explained.

While the youngest children were carried by the kidnappers, older pupils had no choice but to walk long distances through difficult terrain.

“The younger ones were carried, but the older children had to walk. They fell many times. It was very difficult,” she said.

Recounting the early hours of the abduction, Alamu said the kidnappers initially used her vehicle to transport the victims to another location, where they met pupils from a nearby primary school and their teacher who had also been abducted.

“My car was used to convey us to a point where we met the primary school pupils and their teacher.

“From there, we walked for about one hour before they brought motorcycles. About 10 motorcycles were used to move us for more than four hours through bush paths they knew very well,” she said.

Reflecting on the impact of the traumatic experience, the veteran educator admitted she was uncertain whether she could return to teaching in remote rural communities.

Having spent 28 years in the profession, with only four years left before retirement, she said the ordeal had changed her perspective.

“I have worked for 28 years and I have just about four years to retire. Going to rural areas now will take the grace of God.

“Before this happened, I had already sacrificed a lot because of the distance. Now, coupled with this experience, I don’t know what will happen. I just want to see my husband. When I get home, I can think about every other thing,” she said.