Oyo School Abduction: Kidnappers Refuse Family Talks, Demand Direct Negotiation With Government — Principal’s Husband

Fresh details have emerged over the abduction of teachers and pupils in Oyo State, as the husband of one of the victims says the kidnappers have refused to negotiate with family members and are demanding direct communication with the government.

Professor Wole Alamu, husband of abducted school principal Mrs. Rachael Alamu, revealed that the terrorists behind the attack have only been reaching out through WhatsApp messages and have repeatedly rejected attempts by the family to open negotiations.

Mrs. Alamu, the principal of Community High School, Ahoro-Esinle in Oriire Local Government Area, was kidnapped during the May 15 attack on schools in the area that left several people dead and many others missing.

Speaking in an interview with Vanguard, Professor Alamu, a lecturer in the Department of Forest Resources Management at Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH), said the family has been left helpless because the abductors insist they only want to deal with government officials.

“The captors said they don’t want to talk to us. They only want to talk to the government,” he said. “Anytime they want to communicate, they send messages to me through WhatsApp.”

He recalled the terrifying moment he learnt about the attack shortly after leaving home with his wife that morning. According to him, he received a distress call around 9:20 a.m. informing him that armed men had invaded the school community.

Professor Alamu said he rushed back immediately, only to discover that some teachers had been killed while students and staff members were abducted during the attack. He also disclosed that the Toyota Corolla his wife used for transportation was burnt by the attackers.

The university lecturer added that the family has not been allowed to speak directly with Mrs. Alamu since the incident, except through disturbing videos allegedly forced by the kidnappers.

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

Despite the pain and uncertainty surrounding the ordeal, Professor Alamu commended the Oyo State Government for supporting affected families since the incident occurred. He also disclosed that security agencies, including the Department of State Services, DSS, are already investigating the WhatsApp numbers used by the abductors.

He described his wife as a committed educationist who had been travelling nearly 62 kilometres daily to serve the rural community since her deployment in August 2024.

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

The abduction has continued to trigger outrage across Oyo State, with teachers under the Nigeria Union of Teachers, NUT, already embarking on an indefinite strike over the continued captivity of their colleagues and pupils.