The abducted principal of the Oyo secondary school, Mrs. Rachael Alamu, has shared a moving account of her time in captivity, describing the seventh week as the most terrifying period of the ordeal.
Speaking after regaining her freedom, Alamu said the situation worsened when military air raids intensified around the bandits’ hideout.
“Apart from seeing the hand of God from the very beginning, the seventh week was the hardest for us. The air raids became so intense that our fear of the bandits became secondary. We were only praying that no missile would mistakenly hit us,” she recalled.
She explained that the captives had little protection, sheltering under makeshift covers made of polythene sheets and grass while hoping to survive the bombardments.
According to her, the kidnappers had earlier hinted that the government was working towards their release, but their attitude changed dramatically after the air raids began.
Alamu recounted how the camp commander summoned her and threatened to execute one of the captives in retaliation.
“He said, ‘See what your government has done. I’m going to kill one of you today.’ I fell to the ground, pleading for mercy because two of the people taken with me had already died, and only two remained.”
She said she appealed to the commander to reduce his ransom demands to an amount the victims’ families could realistically raise. Although he eventually agreed to send the message, the captives later heard the sound of shovels digging nearby, leaving them convinced another execution was imminent.
“That night, the people with me cried, saying they could hear shovels. We all feared they were preparing a grave,” she said.
Fortunately, the group was relocated to another camp that same night.
Mrs. Alamu also described the harsh living conditions in captivity, saying the bandits avoided cooking because smoke could reveal their location, forcing the captives to endure hunger.
She revealed that throughout the ordeal, she prayed for two things: that she would return home to meet her husband alive and that she would not die in the forest.
“When they told me my husband had stopped communicating, I feared the worst because of his health. After we were rescued, I insisted on speaking with him, and when I finally heard his voice, I knew God had answered my prayers.”
She added that illness was another constant threat, with only basic painkillers available for treatment.
“In the final week, I developed a very high fever and could barely cope. I asked for two tablets of paracetamol. Someone warned me they were not actually paracetamol, but I prayed over them and took them anyway. By God’s grace, I recovered completely.”
Alamu described their eventual release as nothing short of miraculous, saying faith and constant prayer gave the captives the strength to endure until freedom came.
