The principal of Ahoro-Esinele Community Grammar School, Mrs. Rachel Alamu, who was abducted alongside other teachers and students at Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State, has recounted their ordeal days after their rescue from the kidnappers’ den.
NPO Reported that Alamu was alongside six other teachers and 39 students rescued on Friday after 56 days in captivity within the Old Oyo National Park.
While they were initially transferred to the 2 Division Military Hospital in Ibadan for medical treatment before being handed over to the state government on Monday.
Addressing newsmen after their arrival at the government house, Alamu narrated their ordeal in the hands of the suspected terrorists.
While she was spared by the abductors, the principal disclosed that some of the children were beaten with the men blindfolded and chained.
She said they mostly left in the open under the sun and rain.
“It was not easy. We were in the forest in the open most of the time under the sun, under the rain with the children. But we kept going because there was no way out.
“We knew it is only God that will help us and the fact that we believe that people are praying for us.
“That also helped us as well. I cannot say it is not God because sometimes, things will go through an you will think that when you break down, that will be the end. But you willl just survivie it.
“Personally, I was not beaten but some of the children were beaten. You know children, some of them are quiet and some of them are loud.
“And what they hate the most is noise that it attracts attention. The youngest of them, maybe the two- Waliya and Salam were the one that took most of the beating.
“They close their mouth, tie it with clothes and beat them very well. Then the men. They had it worse than us because they were blindfolded, handcuffed and chained on the leg. All of them until they remained two.” She said.
Alamu further recounted how the children were initially fed with biscuits for few days after the abduction.
This, she claimed stopped at a point with the kidnappers forcing them to trek far distance as they were relocated from one spot to another.
“We sat them up. When we started, they were bringing biscuit for them maybe to make them comfortable. But along the line, that stopped.
“Then we had to move from one point to another. That is one major problem we had. When the place is covered, we had to move and that starts around 7,8,9 in the night.
“Sometimes we walk three to four hours. That is the bruises you see our body.” She said.
Alamu also recounted the day they were abducted with her used in conveying them to a spot before being set ablaze while the continued the journey into the insurgents’ hideout by bike.
“When we were taken, my car was used to convey us to a point where we met the primary school pupils and their teachers. We had to walk for about one hours.
“They brought machine about ten of them and we were packed there. We rode for more than four hours though a path they knew.
“What actually happened was I thought they left the car there and the police would have towed the car to their office.
“But somebody showed me the car where it was burnt and that was not the path we took. I think they drove it to that point before it was torched.” She said.
Alamu expressed desire to see her husband before considering the next step to take.
“I want to see my husband. When I get home, I can think of any other thing. But definitely it is something that will be good for me.” She added.
While in captivity, the principal proved influential to the kidnappers who often used her to communicate their demands and actions to the public in videos posted on social media.