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| Mrs. Rachael Alamu |
Mrs. Rachael Alamu, principal of Ahoro Esinle School in Oriire Local Government Area, Oyo State, has explained why one of her first questions after being freed was about her car.
She said she initially believed the vehicle had been recovered by police, only later learning that her abductors had set it on fire.
Alamu made the remarks on Monday, July 13, 2026, when she and the rescued teachers and pupils were officially handed over to Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde at the Governor’s Office, Secretariat in Ibadan.
Her explanation came in response to public reaction to an earlier comment she made immediately after her release, when she asked the security personnel that rescued them: ‘what about my car?’ She explained that she had been driving the car on the day dozens of pupils and teachers were abducted.
“What actually happened is I thought they left the car there. The police would have towed the car to their office.
“But somebody showed me the car where it was burnt, and that was not the part we took. So I thought… I think they drove it to that point before it was burnt.
“That was not the way we took,” she said.
Asked whether the traumatic experience would affect her career as a teacher, Alamu said she hoped time would help her recover, although she remained uncertain about returning to work under the same conditions.
“With time, I’ve worked for 28 years, so I have four years. With time, maybe I can get over it.
“But going that far, the distance between that place… is far already. So I sacrifice a lot when it comes to transportation. Now coupled with this, I don’t know what will happen,” she said.
Earlier on Monday, according to a report of The Punch newspapers, Alamu also recounted the victims’ 56-day ordeal in captivity, revealing that children were beaten into silence, male teachers were chained and blindfolded, while the captives were repeatedly forced to undertake dangerous nighttime treks through forests to evade security operatives.
The victims were abducted by gunmen from Ahoro Esinle School on May 15, 2026, and spent more than 50 days in captivity before security agencies secured their release.
The Federal Government announced their rescue on Friday, July 10, 2026, after which the pupils and teachers were admitted to the Military Hospital in Ibadan for medical treatment and psychosocial support before being formally handed over to the Oyo State Government on Monday.
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