By Opeyemi Adelakun
One of the teachers rescued after spending 56 days in the custody of kidnappers in Oyo State, Zacchaeus Olatunde, has revealed that he and other victims were permanently blindfolded and initially barred from praying in the name of Jesus throughout their captivity.
Speaking during a telephone interview with Nigeria Info FM on Friday, Olatunde described the ordeal as traumatic, saying the captives had no idea where they were being held because they remained blindfolded from the day they were abducted.
“When we were there, we were blind, not an ordinary blindfold. We didn’t even know if we were in Nigeria or another country. We were just there. We were saying maybe the government had even forgotten us,” he said.
He said the victims, however, never lost hope, believing that prayers offered on their behalf would eventually secure their freedom.
“All I can say is that God answered all the prayers that people were praying for us,” Olatunde added.
According to him, the kidnappers communicated in Hausa, Nupe, English and Yoruba, and repeatedly told the victims that their safety depended on cooperation from both the captives and the government.
“Right from the day we were abducted, they told us on the way that if we cooperated and the government cooperated, there would be no problem,” he said.
Olatunde disclosed that the abductors initially prohibited any form of prayer but relaxed the restriction after about a month, although they imposed conditions.
“They told us we could pray, but not mention the name of Jesus, and we should not pray out loud,” he said.
He described their eventual release as unexpected, saying the leader of the kidnappers informed them they had been set free.
“Their commander came and was smiling and laughing and said we should thank God that we had been freed. The next thing they said was that we should open our eyes,” he recalled.
Olatunde declined to reveal further details about how the rescue was carried out.
The victims were abducted on May 15, 2026, when armed men attacked three schools in the Ahoro-Esiele and Yawota communities of Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State.
During the attack, the assailants killed the Assistant Headmaster of L.A. Primary School, Joel Adesiyan, and abducted 46 pupils and teachers, including the school principal, Folawe Alamu.
The victims regained their freedom on July 10, after spending 56 days in captivity.
Meanwhile, the Federal Government has filed terrorism-related charges against three suspects alleged to have facilitated the abduction and maintained links with the terrorist group Ansaru as investigations continue.
Olatunde said the abductors communicated in Hausa, Nupe, English and Yoruba during the 56-day captivity.
The Federal Government has filed terrorism-related charges against three suspects linked to the school kidnapping as investigations continue.
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