How do you tell a baby not to cry?’ – Freed Oyo Principal narrates ordeal in kidnapper’s den

Folawe Alamu, freed principal of a school abducted in Oyo State, has described the terror of air raids, threatened executions and hunger during 56 days in captivity.

56 Days In Captivity: Oyo Principal Narrates Ordeal

Folawe Alamu, principal of Community High School in Ahoro-Esinele, Oyo State, recounted her ordeal during a thanksgiving service at Antioch Baptist Church, Ogbomoso, on Sunday, according to a Gazette NGR report.

She said the seventh week was the hardest, as intensified military air raids made hostages fear accidental strikes more than the bandits themselves, describing nights spent exposed under only polythene and grass.

Alamu recalled a terrifying moment when the bandits’ commander threatened to kill a hostage in retaliation for the air raids, calming down only after she pleaded for restraint. She also described hearing shovel sounds at night, fearing a grave was being dug, before being abruptly moved instead.

Hostages, she said, were warned against making noise, including crying children, and often went hungry to avoid smoke revealing their location.

Alamu said she prayed throughout for her health and to return to a family still intact, calling her eventual release “miraculous.”

The pupils and staff were abducted on May 15, sparking negotiations and nationwide protests, before their release was announced on July 10 by presidential spokesman Bayo Onanuga.