Rescued Oyo Teacher Says Kidnappers Blindfolded Victims, Banned Prayers In Jesus’ Name

One of the teachers rescued after spending 56 days in the custody of kidnappers in Oyo State, Zacchaeus Olatunde, has recounted the harrowing ordeal, revealing that the captives were permanently blindfolded, barred from praying in the name of Jesus for weeks and lived each day uncertain whether they would ever regain their freedom.

Olatunde disclosed this during a telephone interview with Nigeria Info FM aired on Friday as he recounted the ordeal of the teachers and pupils abducted from schools in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State.

According to him, the captives were blindfolded throughout their captivity, leaving them unable to determine where they had been taken.

“It is difficult to say on air, but I will just say what I can. When we were there, we were blind, not an ordinary blindfold. We didn’t even know if we were in Nigeria or another country. We were just there. We were saying maybe the government had even forgotten us.”

Despite the uncertainty, Olatunde said the captives never lost hope, believing that prayers offered on their behalf would eventually secure their freedom.

“All I can say is that God answered all the prayers that people were praying for us.”

He also disclosed that the abductors communicated in Hausa, Nupe, English and Yoruba.

Describing their treatment in captivity, Olatunde said the kidnappers ensured they were fed and repeatedly stressed that their safety depended on cooperation from both the victims and the government.

“In terms of feeding, those people really tried for us, to be sincere. Right from the day we were abducted, they told us on the way that if we cooperated and the government cooperated, there would be no problem.”

He further described their eventual release as miraculous, revealing that the kidnappers initially forbade them from praying. After about a month, however, they were allowed to pray under strict conditions.

“The way we were rescued was miraculous. When we just got there, they told us not to pray, but after about a month, they told us we could pray, but not mention the name of Jesus, and we should not pray out loud.”

Olatunde said their freedom came unexpectedly when the leader of the kidnappers informed them they had been released.

“Until the last day when their commander came and was smiling and laughing and said we should thank God that we had been freed. The next thing they said was that we should open our eyes.”

He declined to disclose further details of the rescue operation.

The victims were abducted on May 15, 2026, when heavily armed gunmen attacked three schools in the Ahoro-Esiele and Yawota communities of Oriire Local Government Area near Ogbomoso, Oyo State.

During the attack, the assailants killed the assistant headmaster of L.A. Primary School, Joel Adesiyan, and abducted 46 pupils and teachers, including the school principal, Folawe Alamu. The victims regained their freedom on July 10 after spending 56 days in captivity.

Since their release, some of the rescued teachers have begun revealing details of their ordeal, including claims that the kidnappers occasionally washed their clothes after weeks in the forest to counter speculation that the abduction had been staged.

Meanwhile, the Federal Government on Friday filed terrorism-related charges against three suspects alleged to have facilitated the kidnapping and maintained links with the terrorist group Ansaru, as investigations into the incident continue.