A school counsellor and teacher, Mr. Olatunde Olutoye, has recounted the harrowing experience of how he and several others were abducted by armed men who identified themselves as members of the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), spending 56 days in captivity before regaining freedom.
Speaking during a programme on Naija Info FM Lagos, Olatunde narrated how the incident occurred while he and other teachers were conducting tests for Junior Secondary School students.
According to him, despite being ill on the day of the attack, he still reported for duty.
“On the fateful day, I went to school even though I was sick. We were conducting tests for JSS1 to JSS3 students alongside other colleagues when we suddenly heard the sound of motorcycles and gunshots,” he said.
The teacher explained that panic broke out immediately as students and staff members fled in different directions in search of safety.
He said he attempted to escape by jumping through a window but injured himself in the process.
“I jumped through a window while trying to run, but I landed badly on my left leg, which was already giving me problems. Because of the pain, I could not move fast. I told the children running with me to leave me and save themselves while I hid under some leaves.”
Olatunde said his hiding place was later discovered after a student who stayed behind with him was spotted by the attackers.
“A student saw me and decided not to leave me. Unfortunately, the student was seen by one of the attackers, and that led them to where I was hiding.
The man who found me was surprised that I was hiding and immediately grabbed me.”
According to him, the captors assured those abducted that they would not be harmed if they cooperated.
“The bandits told us to cooperate and promised not to hurt us,” he recalled.
He further disclosed that the group provided them with food throughout their captivity, although their meals were basic.
“They served us rice with Maggi and salt and sometimes beans. We never tasted pepper throughout the seven weeks we spent there.”
In a surprising revelation, Olatunde claimed that his captors gave him medication that temporarily relieved his arthritis.
“They gave me a drug, and within minutes my arthritis disappeared,” he said.
He also stated that the abductors instructed them to pray but warned them against praying loudly.
“They would ask us to pray, but not loudly,” he added.
The teacher said the armed men communicated mostly in Hausa with a little Yoruba and insisted they were not bandits or Boko Haram members.
“They told us they were not Boko Haram or bandits. They said they were ISWAP.”
Olatunde revealed that he was the last person captured during the attack.
Reflecting on the difficult conditions in captivity, he said the victims were unable to wash their clothes throughout the 56-day ordeal.
“For 56 days, we did not wash our clothes,” he said.
Recounting the events that led to their freedom, Olatunde said the captors eventually handed them over to some motorcycle riders who transported them to another location.
“After the motorcycle ride, we still trekked for about another hour before we eventually saw officials waiting for us,” he said.
However, he noted that the victims initially became frightened when they saw two buses parked at the location.
“When we saw the buses, we were afraid again because they had tinted windows and no number plates.
The men around them were also speaking Hausa, so we were unsure of who they were.”
According to him, the situation became clearer when the officials identified themselves as operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS).
“They asked us to calm down and showed us their DSS identity cards before we agreed to enter the buses. They also called two individuals who confirmed to us that we had truly been rescued and were safe,” he added.
Olatunde also paid tribute to two teachers who lost their lives in the attack, describing them as dedicated educators.
“The two teachers who were killed were my colleagues. I met them in that school. I had wanted to seek a transfer from the school, but they encouraged me to stay,” he said.
He identified the deceased teachers as Mr. Michael Oyedokun and Deacon Olaleye, both mathematics teachers.
The teacher added that he used a motorcycle to commute to the school daily before the incident.
Speaking on his return to freedom, Olatunde disclosed that authorities provided them with new clothing after their release.
“Our clothes were changed in Ibadan after we regained freedom,” he said.
His account provides a rare insight into the conditions endured by victims of abduction and the challenges faced by teachers working in vulnerable communities affected by insecurity.
