Rescued Oriire Principal Recounts Horrific Seven-Week Abduction Ordeal
The principal of Esinle Community High School, Mrs. Rachael Alamu, recounted her terrifying 58-day captivity, where fear of military airstrikes overshadowed the fear of her abductors. Her husband, Professor Wole Alamu, shared his emotional toll from negotiations, threats, and his wife's courageous defiance against their captors. The couple expressed gratitude for swift security responses and widespread support during their harrowing ordeal.
Mrs. Rachael Alamu, the principal of Esinle Community High School, recently recounted her harrowing 58-day ordeal in captivity, revealing that the seventh week was the most terrifying. During a thanksgiving service held at Antioch Baptist Church, Ogbomoso, Oyo State, Mrs. Alamu, who was abducted alongside teachers and pupils from her school in Oriire Local Government Area, explained that intense military operations made the fear of stray missiles overshadow the fear of her abductors. The constant sound of bombardments left the captives in extreme uncertainty, with Mrs. Alamu stating, "At a point, the fear of the bandits became secondary. We were just praying that missiles would not accidentally drop on us."
She further disclosed that the abductors had initially given them hope of release, claiming that Oyo State Governor Engr. Seyi Makinde had assured their freedom by the end of that week. However, the subsequent heavy air raids on Tuesday shattered this hope and infuriated the captors. The tension escalated towards the week's end when a gang leader unexpectedly summoned her, causing immense fear.
Adding to the family's anguish, Professor Wole Alamu, Mrs. Alamu's husband, shared his own struggle during the ordeal. He revealed that weeks of direct negotiations with the abductors left him emotionally drained and battling high blood pressure. Professor Alamu communicated with the kidnappers for about three weeks after the abduction on May 15, 2026, but eventually decided to block their phone numbers when the conversations became life-threatening. He recalled an incident where a threatening message caused his blood pressure to spike during a medical check-up, leading him to conclude that continuing contact was endangering his health.
Upon discovering they could no longer reach Professor Alamu, the kidnappers confronted Mrs. Alamu, threatening her life by saying, "Madam, your husband has blocked us. We are going to kill you." Despite this grave threat, Mrs. Alamu remained resolute, declaring, "You will not kill me in Jesus’ name." Professor Alamu also recounted an incident where the kidnappers left a cutlass beside his wife, seemingly expecting her to take her own life. However, Mrs. Alamu firmly rejected the idea, stating, "I will not kill myself and you too will not kill me."
Professor Alamu expressed profound gratitude to security agencies for their swift response following the abduction, noting that within 45 minutes, the General Officer Commanding of the 2 Mechanised Division and the Commissioner of Police were at the scene, with two helicopters combing the forest an hour before he arrived. He also acknowledged the widespread support received from individuals and organizations both nationally and internationally, including offers of assistance from the United States. Reflecting on the experience, Professor Alamu urged Christians to remain steadfast in their faith, quoting Psalm 126 to illustrate how their sorrow had been turned into joy, describing the kidnapping as the greatest trial since his conversion in 1990.