Reported by: Ijeoma G | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
The rescued Principal of Community High School in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State, Mrs Rachael Folawe Alamu, has disclosed that two teachers abducted alongside pupils were deliberately killed by their captors to intensify pressure on the government. Mrs Alamu made the revelation on Monday, 13 July 2026, during the formal handover of the rescued victims to Governor Seyi Makinde by the Nigerian Army at the Oyo State Government House in Ibadan.
According to the principal, the first victim, identified as Mr Michael Oyedokun, a Mathematics teacher, was killed on the second day of their abduction. The second victim, identified as Deacon John Olaleye, was executed on the first Sunday of June 2026. "The terrorists killed Mr Michael, the first teacher, on the second day of our abduction, and killed Deacon, the second teacher, on the first Sunday of June. They killed them deliberately, believing it would force the government's hand," Mrs Alamu recounted.
The victims were among 39 pupils and seven teachers abducted on 15 May 2026 when armed terrorists attacked three schools – Baptist Nursery and Primary School, Yawota; Community Grammar School, Esiele; and LA Primary School – all in Oriire Local Government Area. Another teacher, Mr Esiyan Adegboye, 49, had been shot dead during the initial attack on the schools, bringing the total number of teachers killed to three.
Mrs Alamu described the 56-day ordeal as a daily struggle for survival, with the captives spending most of their time in the open forest, exposed to harsh weather and constant fear. "You can only imagine it. It was not easy. We were in the forest, in the open, most of the time, under the sun and under the rain, with the children. But we kept going because there was no way out," she said.
She disclosed that while she escaped physical assault, several of the younger pupils were repeatedly beaten by the kidnappers whenever they cried or made noise. The male teachers endured even harsher treatment, often blindfolded, handcuffed and chained. The captives were rescued on Friday, 10 July 2026, in a coordinated operation involving the military and the Department of State Services.
The victims were received by Governor Seyi Makinde, who called on the United Nations and international human rights organisations to investigate the abduction. The governor also paid tribute to the slain teachers – Mr Joel Adesiyan, who was killed during the initial attack; Deacon John Olaleye; and Mr Michael Oyedokun, whose gruesome killing was recorded in a video that shocked many Nigerians.
The rescue operation, which led to the safe return of the abducted pupils and teachers, was the result of a month-long intelligence-led operation involving more than 10 security agencies. The operation was led by Major General Chinedu Ralph Nnebeife, General Officer Commanding 2 Division of the Nigerian Army, and involved special units from the Office of the National Security Adviser, the Defence Headquarters, the Nigerian Army, Navy, Air Force, the Nigeria Police, the Department of State Services, the National Intelligence Agency, the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, and local vigilantes, hunters, and Amotekun personnel.
The Nigerian Army confirmed that some security personnel were killed during the operation, which was designed to limit collateral damage. The Army said the operation focused on identifying the terrorist kingpins that masterminded the kidnapping, bursting and dismantling their networks and logistics links, including their informants and hideouts located within the Old Oyo National Park Forest. Multiple arrests were made within Oyo State and in other locations across the country, completely disorganising the group and exerting overwhelming pressure on them, ultimately leading the terrorist group to unconditionally release the pupils and teachers. The rescued victims are currently receiving medical attention in an undisclosed hospital and will be handed over to the Oyo State Government in due course to be reunited with their families.
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