The principal of Ahoro Esinle School in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State, Mrs. Rachael Alamu, has explained why one of the first questions she asked after regaining her freedom was about her car, saying she believed it had been recovered by the police before discovering that it had been burnt by her abductors.
Alamu spoke on Monday in Ibadan after she, alongside the rescued teachers and pupils, was formally handed over to Governor Seyi Makinde at the Governor’s Office following more than 56 days in captivity.
Her explanation came after many Nigerians reacted to a remark she made shortly after she regained freedom, when she asked about the vehicle she was driving on the day armed men attacked the school and kidnapped her, other teachers and dozens of pupils.
Clarifying her earlier statement, Alamu said she was not placing greater importance on the vehicle than the lives that were saved. Rather, she had assumed the car was left behind at the scene of the abduction and recovered by security operatives.
She said she only discovered later that the kidnappers had driven the vehicle away from the scene before setting it ablaze.
“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 explained.
Her comments offered further insight into the traumatic events surrounding the abduction, which kept pupils and teachers in captivity for nearly two months.
Speaking about her future, the school principal admitted that the experience had left deep emotional scars and raised questions about whether she could continue working under the same conditions.
Alamu, who said she has spent 28 years in the teaching profession, explained that she has only four years left before retirement but is uncertain whether she can continue making the long journey to the school after the traumatic experience.
“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.
Her comments reflected the fears many teachers working in remote communities continue to face because of worsening insecurity in parts of the country.
Earlier on Monday, Alamu had shared details of the victims’ 56-day ordeal, describing how the abductors subjected both children and teachers to harsh treatment throughout their time in captivity.
According to her, the children were beaten whenever they cried or made noise, while the male teachers were chained and blindfolded by the kidnappers.
She also revealed that the captives were repeatedly forced to embark on dangerous night journeys through thick forests as the kidnappers tried to avoid security operatives searching for them.
The repeated movements, she said, left many of the victims physically exhausted and emotionally traumatised.
The victims were abducted on May 15, 2026, when heavily armed gunmen invaded Ahoro Esinle School in Oriire Local Government Area during school hours.
The attack sparked nationwide concern and renewed calls for stronger security around schools, especially those located in rural communities.
Following the abduction, the Oyo State Government, the Federal Government and security agencies launched coordinated efforts to rescue the victims.
Governor Makinde repeatedly assured the families that every available resource was being deployed to secure the safe release of the pupils and teachers.
After weeks of search operations involving security agencies, the Federal Government announced on Friday that all the victims had been rescued.
Although officials did not immediately disclose details of the operation, the rescue was widely welcomed across the country.
Following their release, the pupils and teachers were taken to the Military Hospital in Ibadan, where they received medical treatment, psychological care and counselling to help them recover from the physical and emotional effects of their captivity.
On Monday, the rescued victims were formally handed over to the Oyo State Government during a brief ceremony attended by Governor Makinde and senior government officials.
The governor welcomed them back and assured them of continued support from the state government.
He also praised the security agencies for their efforts in securing the victims’ freedom and reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to improving security across the state.
The abduction once again highlighted the growing security concerns facing schools in several parts of Nigeria.
In recent years, attacks on schools have become a major national concern, with criminal groups targeting students and teachers for ransom.
The Federal and state governments have introduced various measures, including the Safe Schools Initiative, to strengthen security around educational institutions and reduce the risk of future attacks.
However, incidents such as the Ahoro Esinle School abduction have renewed calls for stronger security presence in rural communities, improved intelligence gathering and better protection for teachers and pupils.
For Mrs. Alamu and the other victims, the journey to recovery is only just beginning.
While expressing gratitude for their rescue, the principal acknowledged that the memories of the 56-day ordeal would remain with them for a long time.
She said she hopes that with time, counselling and support from family, colleagues and government, she and the other victims will gradually overcome the trauma and rebuild their lives.
Her account has provided Nigerians with a deeper understanding of the suffering endured by the kidnapped teachers and pupils and the lasting impact such experiences can have even after freedom has been regained.