Oyo school principal’s kidnappers snub family, demand official govt talks

The abductors of the principal of Community High School, Ahoro-Esinle in Oriire Local Government Area, Mrs Rachael Alamu, have reportedly refused to negotiate with her family, insisting instead on engaging directly with government authorities.

Mrs Alamu was abducted on May 15 during a violent attack on the school community that also reportedly claimed the lives of some teachers and led to the abduction of several students and staff members.

Her husband, Professor Wole Alamu of the Department of Forest Resources Management at Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, confirmed that the family has been unable to secure direct communication with the kidnappers since the incident occurred more than two weeks ago.

According to him, the abductors have consistently rejected any attempt at family-led negotiation, insisting that discussions must be held with government representatives.

“The captors said they don’t want to talk to us. They only want to talk to the government, and that is why we are helpless. Anytime they want to communicate, they send messages to me through WhatsApp,” he said.

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The attack, which occurred on the school premises in Oriire Local Government Area, reportedly left some teachers dead, while several students and staff members were taken away by armed men. The assailants also allegedly set a Toyota Corolla used by the principal ablaze during the raid.

Professor Alamu recounted that he and his wife had left home together on the morning of the incident, each heading to their respective workplaces, before he received a distress call at about 9:20 a.m. informing him of the abduction.

“Each time I go to Iseyin, my wife goes to Esele as principal of the school. That morning, after we both left home, I received a call around 9:20 a.m. informing me that she had been kidnapped,” he said.

He added that upon rushing to the school, he discovered the tragic aftermath of the attack, including the deaths of teachers and the destruction of property.

According to him, the family has not had any direct contact with Mrs Alamu since her abduction, aside from videos allegedly forced by her captors and sent to them.

“Since May 15, we have not heard from her apart from the videos she was forced to produce by the captors,” he said.

Professor Alamu expressed appreciation to the Oyo State Government for its response to the incident, noting that efforts had not been abandoned in securing the release of the abducted school principal and others affected.

“We thank the Executive Governor of Oyo State for standing by us. He has not abandoned us in this difficult period,” he stated.

He also disclosed that the phone numbers and WhatsApp contacts used by the kidnappers had been submitted to security agencies, including the Department of State Services, which he said are currently investigating the matter.

“I believe the DSS are working on it,” he added.

Professor Alamu further described his wife as a dedicated educationist committed to rural development, noting that she had been commuting about 62 kilometres daily to the school since her deployment in August 2024.

He maintained that she had no known conflict with anyone in the community and was focused solely on educational development in the area.

“My wife did not offend anyone. She only came to contribute to the development of the area,” he said.

Security agencies are continuing efforts to track the abductors and secure the safe release of the victims, while the family continues to appeal for swift intervention.