- Freed Oyo Teacher Shares Chilling Details Of 56 Days In Captivity
- Teacher says injured leg prevented escape during school attack.
- Female pupil’s reaction unintentionally exposed his hiding place to gunmen.
A teacher abducted during the attack on schools in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State has recounted his 56 day ordeal in captivity, describing how he became the last victim seized by the gunmen and the last to regain his freedom.
The school counsellor, Olatunde Olutuye Zaccheaus, shared his experience during an emotional telephone interview on Nigeria Info’s Morning Crossfire programme on Friday, alongside his wife.
Zaccheaus’ account, particularly his description of how the victims eventually left the kidnappers’ camp, has raised fresh questions over whether they were rescued through a security operation or released after negotiations.
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EKO HOT BLOG reports that recounting the attack, Zaccheaus said the first sign of danger came when he heard motorcycles approaching the school premises.
According to him, the attackers began firing gunshots almost immediately after arriving, throwing teachers and pupils into panic.
“What we just heard was the movement of a bike. Immediately, we heard gunshots. They were shooting sporadically,” he said.
He recalled that frightened pupils immediately began shouting warnings as the gunmen stormed the school.
“Our students, the voices we were hearing from them, were saying, ‘Bandits, bandits, bandits,'” he said.
Zaccheaus explained that he attempted to escape through a classroom window alongside some pupils but sustained an injury while landing.
He said he had previously been managing arthritis in his left leg, and the impact of the jump aggravated the condition, leaving him unable to walk.
“When I jumped through the window and wanted to land, I landed on the left leg where I had arthritis. Immediately, I knew there was a problem. I was unable to walk,” he said.
The teacher said some pupils initially tried to help him escape, but he urged them to leave him behind to avoid being captured.
“I told them, ‘Please, you go. Don’t worry about me. Let them not capture you,'” Zaccheaus recalled.
Unable to flee, he hid beneath thick vegetation and covered parts of his body with leaves in an attempt to avoid detection.
Pupil’s Reaction Led Gunmen To His Hiding Place
Zaccheaus said one female pupil refused to leave despite his repeated pleas.
According to him, when the commander of the gunmen approached the girl, her reaction unintentionally exposed his hiding place.
He said, “When he wanted to take the student, the student looked at the position where I was. Their commander also looked in that direction and saw me.
“He opened his mask. He was wondering whether I was a human being or something else. Then he told me to stand up. That was how I was captured.”
The teacher said many residents initially believed he had successfully escaped because no one knew he had been abducted.
“Everybody was saying they trusted me and that they could not capture me. The students were saying they knew I was alive and that nobody captured me,” he said.
According to Zaccheaus, the assumption later made it difficult for some people to believe that he had spent the entire 56 days in captivity with the abductors.
His account comes after the Federal Government announced the rescue of the abducted pupils and teachers following an intelligence led security operation.
