After 50 days of fear, Oyo Principal’s family tells story of faith, survival

For more than seven agonizing weeks, Professor Wole Alamu lived each day torn between hope and despair as his wife, Mrs. Rachael Alamu, principal of Ahoro Community Grammar School in Oriire, Oyo State, remained in the hands of kidnappers.

But beyond the uncertainty of whether she would return home alive, the emotional burden of negotiating with the abductors nearly claimed another victim—himself.

Speaking during a thanksgiving service held after his wife’s release, Professor Alamu offered a rare and emotional account of the psychological trauma his family endured, revealing how repeated threats from the kidnappers caused his blood pressure to spike and eventually forced him to sever all communication with them.

His testimony has cast fresh light on the often-overlooked emotional and mental health consequences of Nigeria’s growing kidnapping crisis, where victims’ families are frequently subjected to weeks of intimidation, fear and impossible choices.

Mrs. Alamu was among teachers and pupils abducted by armed men from Ahoro Community Grammar School in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State on May 15, 2026.

She and the other captives eventually regained their freedom after spending more than 50 days in captivity following a rescue operation.

Professor Alamu said he personally communicated with the kidnappers for about three weeks after the abduction, hoping negotiations would secure his wife’s release.

Instead, every phone call and text message became another source of fear.

“When my wife was abducted, I was chatting with the abductors for the first three weeks,” he recalled.

“I was threatened and immediately they threatened me, I was always destabilised.”

According to him, the emotional pressure soon began affecting his physical health.

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He narrated how one threatening message from the kidnappers disrupted a scheduled medical examination.

“There was a day I went for a medical check-up. They sent me a text message and I became destabilised. By the time I got to the clinic, I could not even do the check-up because my blood pressure had already increased.”

Faced with deteriorating health, Professor Alamu said he reached a difficult but necessary decision.

“That day I decided I would block these people,” he said.

“You cannot kill me here and kill her there. Choose one. If you want to take her, she is going to be with Christ. You cannot kill the two of us at the same time.”

Kidnappers Turned Their Anger on His Wife

Professor Alamu disclosed that after discovering his phone numbers had been blocked, the kidnappers redirected their frustration toward his wife.

According to him, they confronted her with chilling threats.

“They went to her and said, ‘Madam, your husband has blocked us. We are going to kill you.'”

Rather than panic, Mrs. Alamu reportedly responded with unwavering confidence.

“She replied, ‘You will not kill me in Jesus’ name.'”

The professor said her courage became even more remarkable when the kidnappers allegedly placed a cutlass beside her.

According to him, the weapon appeared to have been left in the hope that she would end her own life.

“They left one cutlass beside the Madam Principal.”

“When they came back, they were blaming one another, saying, ‘You left a cutlass beside the Madam Principal so she could kill herself.'”

He said his wife rejected both fear and despair.

“My wife replied immediately, ‘I will not kill myself and you too will not kill me.’ I thank God for that boldness. She spoke positively.”

Rapid Security Response

Despite the traumatic experience, Professor Alamu praised security agencies for their immediate response after the abduction.

READ ALSO: FG files terrorism, kidnapping charges against three over Oyo school abduction

According to him, senior military and police officials mobilised quickly to begin search operations.

“Within 45 minutes, the General Officer Commanding of the 2 Mechanised Division was already there. The Commissioner of Police was already there before me. Two helicopters were already combing the forest one hour before I got there. It can only be God.”

He also expressed gratitude for the support received from individuals, religious organisations and well-wishers across Nigeria and abroad, including offers of assistance from the United States.

A Story of Faith Amid Growing Insecurity

Reflecting on the ordeal, Professor Alamu described the kidnapping as the greatest test of faith he has faced since becoming a Christian in 1990.

Quoting Psalm 126, he said the family’s grief had ultimately been transformed into joy.

“The Lord has done great things for us, and we are filled with joy,” he declared.

His account underscores the human cost of Nigeria’s kidnapping epidemic, extending beyond those held captive to families who endure prolonged emotional distress, financial uncertainty and psychological trauma while awaiting the fate of their loved ones.

Security experts and mental health professionals have repeatedly warned that the country’s kidnapping crisis leaves deep emotional scars on victims and their relatives, often long after physical freedom has been regained.

For the Alamu family, however, the thanksgiving service marked more than the end of a 50-day nightmare. It was, in Professor Alamu’s words, a celebration of resilience, faith and survival in the face of one of life’s darkest moments.