We Passed Through Hell: Oyo Teacher Recounts 56 Days of Horror in Kidnappers’ Den

A teacher rescued after spending 56 harrowing days in captivity following the mass abduction of pupils and teachers in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State has narrated the shocking circumstances surrounding their release, describing the moment terrorists’ commander appeared cheerful and announced they were free. The school counsellor, Mr. Olatunde Zaccheaus, spoke during a live telephone interview on Nigeria Info FM, recounting the ordeal that began on May 15, 2026, when armed gunmen stormed three schools in the Ahoro-Esiele and Yawota communities of Oriire Local Government Area.

Zaccheaus said the first indication of danger was the sound of motorcycles approaching the school, followed immediately by sporadic gunshots that threw pupils and teachers into panic. The terrified students began shouting warnings: “Bandits, bandits, bandits,” he recalled. The attack targeted Community Grammar School, Baptist Nursery and Primary School, and L.A. Primary School, resulting in the abduction of 39 pupils and seven teachers, including the school principal. During the assault, the attackers killed the Assistant Headmaster of L.A. Primary School, Joel Adesiyan, while he attempted to escape. Zaccheaus attempted to escape through a window with some pupils but injured his left leg while landing, worsening a long-standing arthritis condition. Unable to keep pace with fleeing students, he urged them to save themselves and hid beneath thick vegetation, covering his body with leaves to avoid detection.

In a heartbreaking twist, Zaccheaus said one female pupil refused to leave the area despite his pleas. When the attackers’ commander approached the girl, her reaction inadvertently revealed his hiding location. “When he wanted to take the student, the student looked at the position where I was. Their commander also looked in that direction and saw me. He opened his mask. He was wondering whether I was a human being or something else. Then he told me to stand up. That was how I was captured,” he recounted. Many community members initially refused to believe he had been captured, assuming he had escaped and gone into hiding.

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Throughout their 56-day ordeal, the adult male captives were kept blindfolded, handcuffed and chained by the legs for virtually the entire period. “When we were there, we were blind, not an ordinary blindfold. We didn’t even know if we were in Nigeria or another country. We were just there,” he said. The captives survived on two sparse meals daily—usually plain rice or rice mixed with only palm oil, without pepper or salt. Occasionally, the terrorists hunted wild animals, including deer and grasscutter, which were shared among the captives. The terrorists rarely stayed in one place, frequently moving the captives from one forest location to another to avoid detection by security forces. Adult captives often bore the punishment for mistakes committed by frightened children. “Sometimes they struck us with their guns. If any of the children did something they didn’t like, it was the adults who suffered,” Zaccheaus said.

The teacher disclosed that the victims were initially prevented from praying openly. After about a month, they were allowed to pray but with strict restrictions: “They told us we could pray, but we should not call the name of Jesus loudly. Whenever we were praying, we should not pray aloud so that they would not see or hear us,” he said. He said the kidnappers communicated in English, Yoruba, Hausa, Nupe and other languages, and the captors did not appear to be Yoruba despite their ability to speak the language. The group identified itself as members of the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP).

Tragically, two of Zaccheaus’s colleagues did not survive the ordeal. Mathematics teacher Michael Oyedokun was beheaded by the terrorists after he was discovered to have secretly kept a mobile phone. The commander declared that such disobedience could not go unpunished. “We heard him crying and begging as they dragged him away. His voice was very loud at first… then suddenly, everywhere became silent,” Zaccheaus recalled. Moments later, one of the younger terrorists returned dancing and singing in celebration of the killing. On June 7, another teacher, Deacon John Olaleye, was also taken away and murdered because the terrorists claimed the military was moving too close to their location. “They never killed them in our presence. They would take them away to another location. We only heard their cries before everything became quiet,” he said.

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Speaking about the day the victims left the camp on July 10, 2026, Zaccheaus said the behaviour of the gunmen suddenly changed. According to him, the captors began smiling and told the victims that they had regained their freedom. “Their commander came and was smiling and laughing and said we should thank God that we had been freed. They told us to open our eyes. They removed the blindfold and the handcuff and asked us to go,” he recalled. Zaccheaus stated that his release was briefly delayed after the key to his handcuffs broke. “There was no key to remove the handcuff from my hand. That was how I was carrying the handcuff. One of them said maybe they should cut off my hand, but another said they should not,” he said. The captors eventually used a rope to remove the restraint from his wrist.

The teacher said he became disoriented after the victims were left in the forest and initially walked in the wrong direction. The group’s commander, whom he described as an ISWAP member, called him back at gunpoint and directed him towards the route taken by the others. The victims trekked for about an hour before reaching motorcycles, which conveyed them towards Kinyere village. They reportedly continued on foot for another 90 minutes before meeting government security personnel. Zaccheaus described encountering two rivers along the journey, with the second river filled to the bank. “I carried the children across the river, even some of the elders, I carried them. There was a little child that fell into the river. I quickly picked her,” he said. When they spotted a bus ahead, fear gripped them again. “We thought we had moved from frying pan to fire. We asked for their ID cards. What made us panic the more was that they were speaking in Hausa language. We said God has just saved us from some Hausa people, we are falling into the hands of another Hausa people again,” he recounted. The security personnel eventually calmed them down, assuring them the government had sent them.

Security sources later revealed that the rescue was the result of an intelligence-led operation involving the arrest of family members of the kidnappers. Operatives of the Department of State Services tracked down and arrested several wives and children of the kidnappers in different communities and cities across the country. The kidnappers had initially demanded the release of detained terrorist commanders, including Mahmud Usman (Abu Bara’a) and his deputy Abubakar Abba, leaders of the Ansaru faction, as well as payment of ransom and two Hilux vehicles. Security agencies rejected the proposal, insisting the captives must first be released. Security sources said the arrest of the terrorists’ family members reduced the likelihood that the abductors would harm the hostages, fearing possible consequences for their own relatives. When the final operation commenced, scores of terrorists were killed while eight others were arrested.

Following their release, the rescued pupils and teachers were taken for medical examination and treatment before being handed over to the Oyo State Government for reunification with their families. President Bola Tinubu commended the security agencies for working round the clock for 56 days and securing the release without collateral damage. Reflecting on his survival, Zaccheaus attributed the victims’ freedom to divine intervention and public prayers. “The way we were rescued was miraculous. It was people’s prayers and God’s help. Let me put it that way,” he said.

We Passed Through Hell: Oyo Teacher Recounts 56 Days of Horror in Kidnappers’ Den

Court Jails Native Doctor 6 Years, Slams N20m Fine for Fraudulent Spiritual Claims

An Anambra State High Court sitting in Awka has sentenced a self-acclaimed native doctor and prophet, Onyebuchi Okocha, widely known as “Onyeze Jesus,” to six years’ imprisonment and imposed a ₦20 million fine for fraudulent spiritual practices carried out in violation of the state’s Homeland Security Law. Justice Jude Obiora delivered the judgment on Friday, convicting Okocha on one of three counts filed against him by the Anambra State Government. The self-styled spiritualist had been in detention for about one year and six months following his arrest in February 2025 as part of a statewide crackdown on native doctors and spiritualists accused of promoting ritual practices and criminal activities.

Okocha was initially charged with three offences: promoting wealth through supernatural means on social media, engaging in “Oke-Ite” spiritual rituals, and operating alleged money-doubling schemes. He was prosecuted under Section 18 of the Anambra Homeland Security Law 2025, which prohibits individuals from deceiving members of the public with claims of supernatural wealth creation or preparing charms intended to aid criminal activities. Justice Obiora ruled that Okocha admitted being the person featured in viral social media videos and acknowledged ownership of the social media accounts used to promote claims that wealth could be acquired through supernatural means rather than through legitimate work. The judge held that the defendant’s messages encouraged the belief that wealth could be acquired through unlawful spiritual practices, an offence prohibited under the law. However, the court discharged and acquitted Okocha on the remaining two counts, ruling that the prosecution failed to provide sufficient evidence to sustain allegations relating to ritual killings and money-doubling practices. According to the judge, no witness testified to benefiting from the alleged practices, and no evidence was presented to prove the claims beyond a reasonable doubt. Delivering judgment, Justice Obiora stated: “Individuals who claim supernatural powers capable of making people wealthy through prohibited practices or preparing charms outlawed by the Anambra Homeland Security Law are liable to imprisonment and financial penalties”. The court sentenced Okocha to six years in prison with an additional fine of N20 million—the maximum punishment prescribed under the law.

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Before sentencing, an emotional Okocha broke down in tears and briefly slumped in the dock while pleading for mercy. He told the court he had already spent about one year and six months in custody following his arrest and appealed for leniency, describing the case as his first criminal trial. “My Lord, please temper justice with mercy because this is my first offence and the first time I am having a court case. Since February last year that I was arrested and have been in custody, I do not know the whereabouts of my wife and my twin children who depend on me as the breadwinner,” he said. He further told the court that three widows who depended on him had died while he was in custody because there was no one to care for them. Despite his emotional plea, Justice Obiora held that the sentence would serve as a deterrent to others promoting unlawful means of wealth acquisition.

Confirming the judgment on Friday, Anambra State Commissioner for Information and Value Reorientation, Dr. Law Mefor, described the ruling as a significant step in the government’s efforts to curb criminality linked to deceptive spiritual activities. According to Mefor, Okocha was prosecuted alongside other prominent spiritualists, including Chidozie Nwangwu, popularly known as Akwa Okuko Tiwara Aki, and Ekene Igbonekwu, also called Eke Hit, following a statewide crackdown on alleged ritual practices and fraudulent spiritual claims. While Akwa Okuko accepted a plea bargain and received a concurrent two-year prison sentence earlier this year, Onyeze Jesus opted to stand trial and was handed the maximum punishment prescribed under the law. Meanwhile, proceedings involving another suspect, Eke-Hit, were adjourned to September 26, after both the prosecution and defence adopted their written addresses. Mefor reaffirmed the Soludo administration’s commitment to enforcing the Homeland Security Law, warning that fake pastors, self-proclaimed prophets and rogue native doctors who violate the law would continue to face prosecution. He said: “We believe that the sentencing and the fine as prescribed by the law and the number of years to be spent in custodial facility is quite in order and it will serve as a deterrent to others”.

The court also confirmed that seven pastors earlier arraigned under the same law remain in custody pending the determination of their cases. These pastors were arrested for allegedly orchestrating ‘arrangee’ miracles—staged divine interventions designed to defraud people by hiring paid actors to perform fake miracles. “The arraigned pastors are in detention as directed by the Court and they will continue to have their days in custody until they are found guilty or discharged by the Court,” Mefor said.

Governor Chukwuma Soludo has consistently maintained that although his administration respects traditional religion and lawful cultural practices, it will not tolerate individuals who exploit spiritual beliefs to promote fraud, kidnapping, internet fraud, ritual killings or other forms of crime. During a media briefing earlier this year, Soludo said: “We have made this very clear over and over again that we understand traditional religion… We also understand the difference between the traditional religion and criminal idolatry. We support freedom of worship, freedom of religion. Anybody can worship the way you want, provided you realise that your own right ends where the other person’s own starts. Where your own practices and preaching now breed criminality, that is where we come in”. The governor noted that some native doctors were involved in preparing charms for kidnappers and armed robbers, and that it is the duty of the state government to stop diabolical rituals that have given rise to evil practices such as ‘Ego Mbute,’ ‘Oke-Ite,’ ‘Yahoo Plus,’ and idolatry.

Following the judgment, Okocha was remanded at the Awka Correctional Centre to begin serving his prison term. His lawyer, Chief Bathlome Ezedinobi, said the defence would obtain the Certified True Copy of the judgment before deciding on the next legal step. “According to the Court he was given maximum sentence and we shall apply for the Certified True Copy of the judgment and we look into it and then know the appropriate steps to take. According to the law, the sentence can run concurrently and he was sentenced in count 1 and discharged in count 2 and 3,” he said.

Court Jails Native Doctor 6 Years, Slams N20m Fine for Fraudulent Spiritual Claims

She Was Already Married: Man Tells Court How He Spent Millions on Facebook Wife

A man identified as Badmus has approached the Grade A Customary Court sitting in Mapo, Ibadan, Oyo State, seeking the dissolution of his marriage to his wife, Shadia, whom he met on Facebook. He has accused her of being deceitful, diabolic, troublesome, and a threat to his life. Badmus, who resides in the United Kingdom, told the court that Shadia misrepresented herself at the start of their relationship, claiming to be a single parent with two children. He stated that he invested heavily in the relationship, only to discover that she was already married and that her marriage was still intact.

According to Badmus, he proceeded to marry Shadia in a traditional ceremony, paying N100,000 as her bride price. He claimed that she subsequently employed diabolic means to manipulate and siphon money from him. He took on the responsibility of caring for her two children, enrolling them in an expensive private school and covering all their fees. He further claimed to have established four different businesses for her, all of which she allegedly ruined due to her extravagant lifestyle, and also helped her complete the construction of her house.

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The plaintiff made a particularly startling allegation, stating that he spent N6,000,000 in an attempt to have a child with Shadia. He told the court that a medical report later revealed that a scissors had been forgotten inside her womb during a cesarean operation performed when she gave birth to her second child. This discovery was presented as part of his grievances regarding the marriage.

Badmus explained that their relationship began to sour after he refused Shadia’s request to accompany him back to the UK. He claims he had been upfront with her from the beginning that he already had a first wife residing there. The “cat was let out of the bag,” in his words, when he transferred money to Shadia and a man called him. The man, who identified himself as Shadia’s husband, questioned him about the transaction. This revelation confirmed his suspicions that Shadia had been dishonest about her marital status.

Following the discovery, Badmus alleged that Shadia took possession of documents for his property, insisting he share his assets with her. He also claimed she began threatening him, which took a severe toll on his health, leading to high blood pressure that requires medication. In his testimony, Badmus stated: “She has not ceased threatening me. I reported her at the police, she was cautioned but she refused to stop. Shadia’s misbehaviour has hampered my health. I am hypertensive and on drugs.” He has prayed the court to dissolve the union and is also seeking a restraining order against her.

Shadia was notably absent from the court proceedings despite being served with court summons. The court president, Mrs S.M. Akintayo, has adjourned the case for judgment.

She Was Already Married: Man Tells Court How He Spent Millions on Facebook Wife