Oyo Schools Abduction: How we survived 56 days in bandit captivity – Freed teacher reveals

By Femi Fabunmi

A teacher and school counsellor, Mr. Olatunde Olutoye, has shared a chilling account of his 56-day captivity after he was abducted during an attack on his school by armed men who claimed to be members of the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP).

Speaking on a morning programme on Naija Info FM Lagos and monitored by PM News Nigeria, Olutoye recounted how a routine school day turned into a nightmare as gunmen stormed the school, forcing students and teachers to flee for their lives.

According to him, despite being unwell on the day of the attack, he chose to report for duty and joined his colleagues in supervising tests for students in Junior Secondary School One to Three.

“On the fateful day, I went to school even though I was sick. We were conducting tests for JSS1 to JSS3 students alongside other colleagues when we suddenly heard the sound of motorcycles and gunshots,” he said.

The teacher explained that panic broke out immediately as students and staff members fled in different directions in search of safety.

He said he attempted to escape by jumping through a window but injured himself in the process.

“I jumped through a window while trying to run, but I landed badly on my left leg, which was already giving me problems. Because of the pain, I could not move fast. I told the children running with me to leave me and save themselves while I hid under some leaves.”

Olutoye said his hiding place was eventually discovered after a student who refused to abandon him was spotted by the attackers.

“A student saw me and decided not to leave me. Unfortunately, the student was seen by one of the attackers, and that led them to where I was hiding. The man who found me was surprised that I was hiding and immediately grabbed me.”

According to him, the captors assured those abducted that they would not be harmed if they cooperated.

“They told us to cooperate and promised not to hurt us,” he recalled.

The teacher said life in captivity was difficult, with the victims surviving on simple meals throughout the seven weeks they spent in the forest.

“They served us rice with Maggi and salt and sometimes beans. We never tasted pepper throughout the seven weeks we spent there,” he said.

In one of the more surprising aspects of his experience, Olutoye claimed the captors gave him medication that quickly eased his arthritis.

“They gave me a drug, and within minutes my arthritis disappeared,” he said.

He added that while the abductors encouraged them to pray, they warned them against praying loudly.

“They would ask us to pray, but not loudly.”

The teacher said the armed men mostly spoke Hausa, with occasional Yoruba, and insisted they were neither bandits nor Boko Haram fighters.

“They told us they were not Boko Haram or bandits. They said they were ISWAP.”

Olutoye revealed that he was the last person captured during the attack on the school.

He also described the harsh conditions they endured, noting that none of the captives was able to wash their clothes throughout the 56 days they spent in captivity.

“For 56 days, we did not wash our clothes,” he said.

Recounting their eventual release, Olutoye said the captors later handed them over to motorcycle riders who transported them to another location.

“After the motorcycle ride, we still trekked for about another hour before we eventually saw officials waiting for us,” he said.

However, the sight that greeted them initially sparked fresh fears.

“When we saw the buses, we were afraid again because they had tinted windows and no number plates. The men around them were also speaking Hausa, so we were unsure of who they were.”

He said their fears were allayed when the officials identified themselves as operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS).

“They asked us to calm down and showed us their DSS identity cards before we agreed to enter the buses. They also called two individuals who confirmed to us that we had truly been rescued and were safe.”

Olutoye also paid tribute to two teachers who lost their lives during the attack, describing them as dedicated colleagues whose deaths remain painful.

“The two teachers who were killed were my colleagues. I met them in that school. I had wanted to seek a transfer from the school, but they encouraged me to stay,” he said.

He identified the deceased as Mr. Michael Oyedokun and Deacon Olaleye, both mathematics teachers.

The teacher added that before the attack, he relied on a motorcycle for his daily commute to the school.

Speaking on the period immediately after their release, Olutoye disclosed that they were provided with fresh clothing in Ibadan before being reunited with their families.

“Our clothes were changed in Ibadan after we regained freedom,” he said.

Mr Olatunde is one of the freed abducted Orire teachers and students.