Anxiety has continued to grow over the fate of teachers and schoolchildren abducted in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State following the emergence of a new distress video showing one of the victims, school principal Mrs. Alamu, pleading for urgent intervention from government authorities and relevant stakeholders.
In the video, released nearly two weeks after the abduction, the visibly distressed principal appealed to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde, the Nigeria Union of Teachers, and the All Nigeria Confederation of Principals of Secondary Schools to urgently engage with the kidnappers to secure the release of the captives.
Mrs. Alamu said the abducted teachers and children were enduring harsh conditions in captivity, adding that their captors were becoming increasingly impatient.
“The terrorists are already getting impatient. The teachers and the children are still under the sun and the rain, while we are in the cold,” she said in the video.
She urged authorities to pursue negotiations rather than a forceful rescue operation, warning that delays could endanger the lives of those being held.
“The government should not use force. All they need to do is call and negotiate with them. We are begging you, don’t let them waste our lives. Please help us, don’t forget us here, answer them on time,” she pleaded.
The latest video has heightened concerns among residents and relatives of the victims as security agencies continue efforts to secure their release in the Ogbomoso area of the state.
Mrs. Alamu was among several teachers abducted during coordinated attacks on schools in Oriire Local Government Area on May 15. The attacks targeted Community High School, Ahoro-Esinle, and Yawota Baptist Nursery and Primary School, where dozens of pupils and students were reportedly taken by the attackers.
The incident also claimed the lives of a teacher and a commercial motorcycle rider, according to reports.
The Oyo State Government had earlier assured residents that security agencies were intensifying both kinetic and non-kinetic operations to rescue the abductees safely.
Governor Makinde recently disclosed that some security personnel involved in the rescue mission sustained injuries after encountering improvised explosive devices (IEDs) allegedly planted by the kidnappers around the area of Old Oyo National Park, where the victims are believed to be held.
Authorities have continued to urge the public to remain calm while rescue efforts remain ongoing.
