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

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

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

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Police Hunt Teacher Over Alleged Flogging to Death of 12-Year-Old Pupil in Anambra

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July 18, 2026

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Police Hunt Teacher Over Alleged Flogging to Death of 12-Year-Old Pupil in Anambra
Anambra State Police Public Relations Officer, SP Tochukwu Ikenga

Police Hunt Teacher Over Alleged Flogging to Death of 12-Year-Old Pupil in Anambra

The Anambra State Police Command has launched a manhunt for a teacher accused of allegedly flogging a 12-year-old student to death at a school in Adazi-Ani, Anaocha Local Government Area of the state. The tragic incident, which occurred on July 16, 2026, is being investigated under the Command’s Safe School Initiative (SSI). According to a statement issued on Friday by the Police Public Relations Officer, SP Tochukwu Ikenga, the Safe School Initiative team has been activated and is being led by the Assistant Commissioner of Police in charge of Operations, ACP Harrison Oruruo. The team has been mandated to track down the fleeing teacher and ensure that anyone found culpable is brought to justice.

Police operatives attached to the Neni Division responded promptly after receiving a report of the incident on the evening of July 16, 2026. The victim was immediately rushed to a hospital for medical attention but was confirmed dead by a medical doctor while receiving treatment. The victim’s body has been deposited in the hospital morgue for preservation and autopsy. Preliminary investigations revealed visible marks of violence on different parts of the boy’s body, and photographs of the injuries were taken as part of the ongoing investigation.

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“The case is under active investigation, and all necessary steps are being taken to ensure that anyone found culpable is brought to justice,” Ikenga stated. He assured the deceased’s family and the public that the investigation would be thorough, diligent, and transparent. The Anambra State Police Command has expressed deep concern over the tragic incident and reiterated its commitment to protecting schoolchildren through the Safe School Initiative. The Command has appealed to members of the public with useful information that could aid the arrest of the fleeing teacher to report to the nearest police station or contact the Command through its emergency line: 07039194332. The incident has heightened concerns over corporal punishment in schools and renewed calls for stricter measures to safeguard children in learning environments.

Police Hunt Teacher Over Alleged Flogging to Death of 12-Year-Old Pupil in Anambra

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My Period Saved Me: Oyo Woman Escapes Rape by Armed Bororo Fulani Attackers

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July 18, 2026

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My Period Saved Me: Oyo Woman Escapes Rape by Armed Bororo Fulani Attackers

My Period Saved Me: Oyo Woman Escapes Rape by Armed Bororo Fulani Attackers

A married woman has recounted how her monthly period saved her from being sexually assaulted during a brutal armed robbery attack along the Aawe–Iwo Road in Oyo State, allegedly carried out by four armed Bororo Fulani herdsmen. The 28-year-old woman, who is the wife of the vehicle driver, told Saturday Tribune that the incident occurred on Sunday, July 5, 2026, at about 8:00 p.m., when the gang barricaded the Oyo–Iwo Expressway around Akoda Village in Afijio Local Government Area. The hoodlums attacked motorists and passengers travelling from a nearby market towards Iwo Town, dispossessing them of their valuables.

Narrating her ordeal, the woman explained that she and her husband, identified as Amuda, were returning from Omo Oba Market at Lanite Village when they encountered logs used to block the road. As her husband attempted to dodge the obstruction, the vehicle got stuck in a pothole, and the armed robbers waylaid them. “When the attackers broke the side glass of our vehicle, my husband’s apprentice and I jumped out and ran into the bush in the dark,” she recounted. “I heard their footsteps behind me as they pursued and eventually caught up with me. They took me back to where our vehicle was and collected the bag containing the proceeds of our market sales.” The attackers then began dragging her deeper into the bush and attempted to have sexual intercourse with her. Trembling with fear, she reportedly pulled out the sanitary pad she was using from her torn leggings, waved it, and cried out in broken Hausa: “Yaro” (indicating she was a mother with a child) and “Mata” (indicating she was a married woman). “They beat me with their herding stick and tore my leggings. When they discovered I was menstruating, one of them was instructed to lead me out of the bush,” she narrated.

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A 20-year-old female victim who was also attacked, however, was not as fortunate. Her resistance to the alleged attempt to sexually assault her reportedly earned her repeated blows with her attackers’ herding clubs and machete cuts on both legs and one arm. As of the time of the report, she was unable to walk and had to be carried. She recounted: “He dragged me to the back of the vehicle and wanted to rape me. However, I resisted him. He tore my skirt and other clothing items I had on. He pulled off his face mask and started using his herding club (sanda) to hit my entire body. When he noticed that I was not crying but was holding his clothes tightly, he brought out his cutlass and slashed my legs and hand.” “I didn’t know how I managed to free myself from him and run into the bush. He pursued me, but I lay flat among the bushes without him noticing me,” she added.

Following a distress call received at the Police Control Room, Eleyele, Ibadan, the Commissioner of Police, Abimbola Ayodeji Olugbenga, immediately directed operatives of the Violent Crime Response Unit (VCRU) to move to the scene. The VCRU is a newly established tactical unit introduced by the Inspector General of Police, Tunji Disu. The operatives secured the area, rescued the victims, and combed the crime scene, recovering the butt of a single-barrel gun and two herding clubs believed to have been used during the operation. Further intelligence-led investigation led the operatives to the hideouts of the suspects, culminating in the arrests of Abubakar Jabi, 20; Momodu Sheu, 21; Buba Abdullahi (the alleged leader); and Bello Umar, 25 — all of Bororo extraction and all hailing from Kebbi State. All four suspects reportedly confessed to participating in the robbery, and during an identification parade, the victims identified them as their attackers. A search of one of the suspects’ hideouts also led to the recovery of a rechargeable torchlight belonging to one of the victims.

In an interview, Buba, the alleged leader, claimed it was his first time engaging in armed robbery. Asked what led him into crime, he said: “We used to hear about our tribesmen doing it, so we came together to do it too. It was an evil spirit that took over us.” He admitted that the gang found their weapons—a Dane gun and a single-barrel gun—in abandoned buildings while herding. Regarding the sexual assault allegations, Buba denied attempting to rape the women. He claimed: “We asked the woman to lie down after she was dragged into the bush because we didn’t want her shouting for help. She pleaded that she was a mother with a child and also brought out her stained sanitary pad to show she was menstruating.” Each suspect reportedly received between ₦14,000 and ₦14,500 as their share of the stolen money. Sheu admitted pursuing the married woman and dragging her back, while Umar said his role was to pick up the victims’ bag containing the money.

The employer of three of the suspects, Alhaji Lawan, initially petitioned the police through a lawyer insisting his workers had been wrongly accused. However, he reportedly changed his position after hearing the suspects confess in his presence. He told Saturday Tribune: “I don’t subscribe to criminality. In fact, I once suffered greatly at the hands of herders I employed. They killed one of my children and kidnapped another. They collected ₦5 million as ransom for my second child, but three years later I have still not seen him.” Commissioner of Police Abimbola Ayodeji Olugbenga commended the professionalism, courage, and prompt response of the VCRU operatives, describing the operation as further evidence of the Oyo State Police Command’s determination to combat violent crime across the state. The suspects are expected to be charged to court upon completion of investigations.

My Period Saved Me: Oyo Woman Escapes Rape by Armed Bororo Fulani Attackers

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

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July 18, 2026

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

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

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