The Principal of Esinle Community High School, Mrs Rachel Alamu, has described the seventh week of her 56 days imprisonment as the most horrific. She said intensified military air raids over the kidnappers’ camp left the prisoners fearful for their lives.
Mrs Alamu, who was abducted with other teachers and kids of the school in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State, told of the incident at a thanksgiving ceremony held at the Antioch Baptist Church, Ogbomoso after she was released, Vanguard reported.
Speaking yesterday at a thanksgiving ceremony at the Antioch Baptist Church, Ogbomoso, where she returned to thank God for preserving her life after her release.
The shelling from the military was so heavy, the dread of getting hit by a missile was greater than the fear of the bandits,” she said.
The seventh week was the toughest for all of us. It was the time when the soldiers did more air raids. It was so strong that at some point, the dread of the bandits became secondary,” she said.
“The fear of the bandits became secondary at one stage. We were just hoping we wouldn’t get hit by missiles by accident.” We were frightened. But with that fear God comforted our hearts.
Mrs Alamu said that the kidnappers had told the prisoners that Governor Seyi Makinde had allegedly assured them that they would be released by Friday before the military offensive was escalated, giving the captives optimism.
“Last week they told us that the governor said that we would be released before Friday, so we were calm. But when the air attacks began on Tuesday, they were so furious.”
“It became worse when one of the gang commanders phoned me and said, ‘Towards the end of that week, the commander came and said, ‘Principal, come! I was shaking immediately because I understood what that could mean.”
The commander passionately attacked the government for thwarting their goals before giving a scary death threat, she said.
‘See what your government has done,’ he added. ‘Today I am going to kill one of you.’ I just fell down on the ground and started rolling on the ground and crying.”
Mrs Alamu said she begged the gang leader frantically to spare their lives stating, “I said, ‘I brought four men, remaining two and you still want to take more. ‘I already know the loss of the other two will stay with me for the rest of my life.’”
She said the commander suddenly relaxed and asked her thoughts on how the standoff could be addressed.
“Very uncharacteristic of him, he said they should call me and asked, ‘Now your government is doing this, what do you want me to do?’ I said, “What you’re asking for is out of the families of the victims. “Just ask what we can run around for.”
Mrs Alamu claimed the agony of the night was far from over. “I thought that was gone. Late at night we heard shovels and my men began to wail and shout, ‘Mama talk to them. ‘They’ve started to dig the dirt.’
She stated the captives felt the kidnappers were digging graves for them ahead of their execution. But she added the execution they dreaded never happened as the bandits eventually told them to move instead.
“To the glory of God, they told us later on to start moving. They asked me to tell the youngsters to stop weeping or they will murder them. But how do I tell a two or three year old child not to weep or not to ask for food?”
Mrs Alamu also said she prayed throughout the ordeal, not only for freedom but also that she would come home to find her family alive.
“I prayed to God that I don’t come home to an empty house also, because I knew my husband’s health,” she added.
The principal, recalling the 56-day ordeal, said the prisoners survived by the grace of God. He said it was only the compassion of God that prevented the bandits from following out their threats.
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