One of the teachers rescued after spending 56 days in the custody of kidnappers in Oyo State has explained why the victims appeared clean when they regained their freedom, dismissing claims on social media that the abduction was staged.
Speaking for the first time since his rescue, Zachery Olatunde said the kidnappers occasionally washed the captives’ clothes whenever they became dirty or started to smell.
“The abductors are the ones that washed our clothes for us a few times while we were in captivity whenever they noticed we were already smelling,” he said.
According to him, this was the reason the rescued teachers and pupils looked neat after their release, contrary to speculation that the incident was fabricated.
Olatunde described the experience as traumatic and condemned those questioning the authenticity of the kidnapping.
“Those saying the kidnapping was staged don’t know what they are saying. If it was staged, would they have killed two people? What we went through there was terrible,” he said.
He also addressed criticism over the pupils wearing similar native outfits when they were rescued, explaining that the schools had a standing policy requiring pupils to wear traditional attire every Friday.
“Those saying it was staged are telling lies. It was real,” he added.
The mass abduction occurred on May 15, 2026, when heavily armed gunmen invaded three schools in the Ahoro-Esiele and Yawota communities of Oriire Local Government Area near Ogbomoso, Oyo State.
The attackers abducted 44 pupils and teachers from Baptist Nursery and Primary School, Yawota; L.A. Primary School, Yawota; and Community Grammar School, Ahoro-Esiele.
During the attack, the Assistant Headmaster of L.A. Primary School, Joel Adesiyan, was shot dead while attempting to escape. Days later, one of the abducted teachers, mathematics instructor Michael Oyedokun, was reportedly beheaded by the kidnappers.
The victims were eventually rescued on July 10, 2026, following a coordinated security operation involving the Nigerian Army, the Nigeria Police Force, the Department of State Services (DSS), the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Amotekun operatives and local vigilantes.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu confirmed that no ransom was paid for the victims’ release and identified the Ansaru terrorist group as responsible for the attack.
Military authorities disclosed that the rescue mission lasted more than a month and focused on tracking the kidnappers, dismantling their network and arresting collaborators. Eight suspected kidnappers were arrested during the operation, while several others were neutralised.
The rescued pupils and teachers are currently receiving medical care and psychosocial support as they reunite with their families.
Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde said the government’s immediate priority is the rehabilitation of the survivors.
Meanwhile, some parents remain apprehensive about returning their children to school. Taiwo Aliyu, whose four children were among those abducted, said he would only allow them back to school if the government guarantees improved security.
“If the government helps us with security, we will bring them back. But if not, I will take them straight to Lagos,” he said.
