Rescued Oyo Teacher Rebuts ‘Staged Kidnap’ Claims, Shares Ordeal After 56 Days in Captivity

A teacher rescued after spending 56 days in captivity following the abduction of pupils and staff from schools in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State has dismissed claims that the incident was staged, describing such allegations as unfair to the victims.

Speaking in a video shared by Oyo Matters, Zachery Olatunde recounted aspects of their ordeal, explaining that the kidnappers occasionally washed the captives’ clothes whenever they became excessively dirty.

According to him, this explains why some of the rescued victims appeared cleaner than many Nigerians expected when they eventually regained their freedom.

Olatunde also addressed public criticism over photographs showing some of the rescued pupils dressed in matching ankara outfits after their release. He clarified that the clothing was not provided by the abductors but was in keeping with the Oyo State policy requiring primary school pupils to wear native attire on Fridays.

The teacher stressed that the abduction was real and urged members of the public to stop spreading misinformation about the incident.

He noted that the tragedy claimed the lives of two victims while they were in captivity, describing the experience as deeply traumatic for the surviving pupils and teachers.

“Our ordeal was real. We went through unimaginable hardship, and sadly, two people lost their lives. It is painful to see people suggesting it never happened,” he said.

The pupils and teachers were abducted on 15 May from three schools in Oriire Local Government Area before regaining their freedom on 10 July following a coordinated rescue operation involving multiple security agencies.

The Presidency has maintained that no ransom was paid to secure their release.