An abducted Oyo school principal, Mrs Alamu, has recounted the terrifying experience she and other captives endured during their time in the forest, saying the seventh week was the most difficult period of their captivity.
According to her, the situation became particularly frightening when military air raids intensified. At one point, she said, the fear of the bandits became secondary as the captives began praying that missiles would not accidentally hit them.
She said they were highly exposed, with little protection apart from polythene bags and grasses, but remained hopeful after being told that the government was working towards their release.
However, when the air raids began, the bandits reportedly became furious. Mrs Alamu said the commander later summoned her and threatened to kill one of the captives, blaming the government for the military operations.
She said she pleaded with him, reminding him that four of her people had initially been taken, with only two remaining at the time.
Later, the commander reportedly asked what the captives wanted the government to do. Mrs Alamu said she told him that the demands were beyond what the victims’ families could afford and appealed to him to ask for something they could realistically raise.
That night, the captives reportedly heard the sound of shovels digging. According to Mrs Alamu, the other captives became terrified, believing that another person was about to be killed.
The situation became even more difficult when the bandits warned that any captive who made noise could be sacrificed. Mrs Alamu said the captives struggled to keep young children quiet and often went hungry because they were afraid that cooking smoke could expose their location.
Despite the ordeal, she said she continued to pray for two specific things: that she would not return to an empty home and that she would survive the captivity in good health.
She said her prayers were answered when she was rescued and was able to speak with her husband, whose health had been a major concern to her.
Mrs Alamu also recounted falling seriously ill during the final days of her captivity. With limited medical care available, she said she was given what she believed was paracetamol and soon recovered.
“It was God’s hand. The release was miraculous,” she said, reflecting on the ordeal.
— Mrs Alamu, the abducted Oyo principal, recounts how bandits threatened captives and how faith sustained her through weeks of captivity.
