The principal of the school attacked in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State, Mrs. Rachael Folake Alamu, has recounted the ordeal she, fellow teachers and pupils endured during their 56 days in captivity, describing the harsh treatment inflicted on children by their abductors.
Speaking in an interview aired by TVC News on Monday, July 13, 2026, Alamu said the kidnappers were highly sensitive to noise, believing it could expose their location to security forces or nearby residents.
According to her, the youngest children suffered the most because they often found it difficult to remain quiet in the forest.
“They hate noise because it attracts attention, so they tie kids up and beat them,” she said.
Alamu explained that whenever the children cried or made noise, the abductors covered their mouths with pieces of cloth, tied them up to silence them and subjected them to severe beatings.
She identified two of the youngest captives, Wiyat and Salam, as among those who endured the harshest punishment because they struggled to remain silent.
The principal also revealed that the male captives faced stricter conditions. She said they were blindfolded, handcuffed and had chains fastened to their legs for much of their captivity, severely restricting their movement.
According to Alamu, the kidnappers frequently relocated their camp whenever they suspected it had been discovered, forcing the captives to undertake long treks through the forest, often at night.
She said older schoolgirls played a crucial role during the relocations by carrying younger children on their backs whenever they became too weak to continue walking.
Despite the physical and emotional trauma they endured, Alamu stated that none of the female captives was sexually assaulted during the 56-day ordeal.
Her account has renewed concerns over the security of schools in rural communities, particularly those located near forests where armed criminal groups operate, with renewed calls for stronger measures to protect pupils, teachers and school administrators from similar attacks.
The remarks referenced in the report were aired between 00:01:21 and 00:01:28 of the TVC News interview.
