The principal of Ahoro Esinle School in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State, Mrs Rachael Alamu, has shed light on why her car was among the first things on her mind after regaining freedom.
She disclosed that she had assumed the vehicle was still at the scene and would have been towed by the police, unaware that her abductors had driven it to a different location and set it ablaze.
The clarification came on Monday after she and the other rescued teachers and pupils were formally presented to Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde at the Governor’s Office in Ibadan, following widespread reactions to a remark she made shortly after her rescue in which she enquired about the car she had been driving on the day of the abduction on May 15, 2026.
Addressing the curiosity her question had generated, she explained:
“What actually happened is I thought they left the car there. 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. So I thought… I think they drove it to that point before it was burnt. That was not the way we took.”
When asked whether the traumatic experience would have any bearing on her teaching career going forward, she gave a measured but uncertain response, acknowledging the weight of what she had been through while expressing hope that time would bring some healing.
She said:
“With time, I’ve worked for 28 years, so I have four years. With time, maybe I can get over it. But going that far, the distance between that place… is far already. So I sacrifice a lot when it comes to transportation. Now coupled with this, I don’t know what will happen.”
During the same appearance, she also gave a vivid account of the 56 days the victims spent in the hands of their captors, painting a deeply disturbing picture of life in captivity.
She revealed that children who cried or made noise were beaten into silence, male teachers were subjected to being chained and blindfolded, and the entire group was repeatedly made to undertake dangerous treks through dense forests under the cover of darkness as their abductors worked to stay ahead of security operatives.
The abduction took place on May 15, 2026, when gunmen stormed Ahoro Esinle School and seized the pupils and teachers.
After more than 50 days in captivity, security agencies secured their release, with the Federal Government making the announcement on Friday.
The survivors were subsequently admitted to the Military Hospital in Ibadan for medical attention and psychosocial support before being formally reunited with the Oyo State Government on Monday.
