Oriire abduction: Children beaten into silence, teachers chained for 56 days — Principal

Oriire abduction: Children beaten into silence, teachers chained for 56 days — Principal

The horrifying details of the Oriire school abduction have continued to emerge as the principal rescued alongside dozens of pupils and teachers, Mrs Racheal Alamu, recounted how children were brutally beaten into silence, male teachers were chained and blindfolded, while the victims endured exhausting midnight treks through dense forests during their 56-day captivity.

Mrs Alamu shared the chilling account on Monday after she and the rescued victims were formally received by Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde at the Governor’s Office in Ibadan following their release from captivity.

The victims, comprising 39 pupils and seven teachers, were abducted on May 23, 2026, when armed terrorists believed to be members of the Ansaru group attacked an Islamic summer school programme in Lafiagi, Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State.

Describing the ordeal as one of the darkest moments of her life, the principal said the abductees spent virtually the entire period in the open forest, exposed to rain, scorching sunshine and harsh environmental conditions without adequate shelter.

“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.

Mrs Alamu disclosed that while she escaped physical assault, many of the younger children were repeatedly beaten whenever they cried or made noise.

According to her, the abductors feared that children’s cries could expose their location to security operatives.

“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 tied pieces of cloth around their mouths and beat them severely whenever they cried,” she recalled.

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She added that despite the inhumane conditions, none of the victims was sexually assaulted during the period in captivity.

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

Mrs Alamu further revealed that the male teachers endured harsher treatment than the women and children.

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

According to the principal, the kidnappers frequently relocated the victims whenever they suspected security forces were closing in on their hideouts.

The repeated movements forced the abductees, including young children, to embark on dangerous nighttime treks lasting several hours through difficult forest terrain.

“When 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.

“The younger ones were carried, but the older children had to walk. Many of them fell repeatedly. It was extremely difficult,” she said.

She explained that immediately after the abduction, the victims were transported deeper into the forest using about 10 motorcycles after trekking for nearly an hour.

“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.”

More accounts from relatives of the rescued pupils revealed that the children survived largely on cocoyam, noodles and water fetched from a nearby waterfall throughout the period they were held hostage.

A family member of one of the rescued pupils said the children sometimes ate only once a day while living under constant fear inside the Oyo National Forest.

The relative expressed appreciation to the security personnel who risked their lives to rescue the victims, noting that several officers paid the ultimate price during the operation.

Security sources disclosed that the successful rescue followed weeks of painstaking intelligence gathering involving the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA), the National Counter Terrorism Centre (NCTC), the Nigerian Army, Nigerian Air Force, Nigeria Police Force, Department of State Services (DSS), Nigerian Navy, Amotekun Corps, local hunters and members of the Joint Interagency Task Force.

Investigators reportedly penetrated the terrorists’ logistics network after using ransom negotiations to identify supply routes through which food, fuel and other essential items were delivered to the kidnappers inside the forest.

Security operatives also relied on communication intercepts and local intelligence to trace the abductors’ movements before gradually isolating them by cutting off their supply chains.

Rather than launching a full-scale assault that could endanger the lives of the hostages, commanders adopted an intelligence-driven strategy that sustained pressure on the terrorists until they eventually released the captives.

The rescue operation, however, came at a significant cost.

Among those killed was Lieutenant Felix Ademe Isaac, a 28-year-old Nigerian Army officer whose convoy reportedly struck an improvised explosive device (IED) during an early phase of the mission.

Military authorities honoured the fallen officer with a full military burial, describing his sacrifice as instrumental to the eventual success of the operation.

Governor Seyi Makinde commended the courage, professionalism and collaboration of the security agencies involved in the rescue mission.

He also assured the rescued pupils, teachers and their families of continued government support, including medical treatment, trauma counselling and rehabilitation.

Security experts have described the operation as one of Nigeria’s most successful recent hostage rescue missions, saying it demonstrated the effectiveness of intelligence sharing, inter-agency cooperation and carefully coordinated security operations.

Meanwhile, investigations are continuing as security agencies intensify efforts to arrest all members of the Ansaru terrorist network responsible for the abduction and prevent similar attacks on schools across the country.

Oriire abduction: Children beaten into silence, teachers chained for 56 days — Principal