An emotional video released from captivity has intensified concerns over the abduction of dozens of pupils and teachers in Oyo State, as the principal of Community Grammar School, Esiele, Mrs Alamu Folawe, appealed directly to President Bola Tinubu and Governor Seyi Makinde to negotiate with thekidnappers instead of using force.
In the video circulated online on Friday, the visibly distressed principal said she and other abductees had spent nearly two weeks in the forest under harsh weather conditions following the attack on schools in Oriire Local Government Area.
“We are in the cold, we are under the sun, we are under the rain, the children and the adults as well. Please, we are begging you, don’t let them waste our lives,” she said.
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Mrs Alamu was abducted alongside several teachers and schoolchildren during coordinated attacks on three schools on May 15. The affected schools include Community High School, Ahoro-Esiele, Baptist Nursery and Primary School, Yamota, and L.A. Primary School, Alawusa.
At least seven teachers and 39 pupils were kidnapped during the attack, which has triggered outrage across Oyo State and renewed fears over insecurity affecting schools in parts of Nigeria.
Speaking from captivity in the newly released footage, the principal warned that a recent security operation had worsened conditions for the hostages.
“The force that they used yesterday has cost us so much. It has added to our problems. In fact, someone among us has been picked and they are going to kill him because government tried to help us by force,” she said.
She appealed to the Nigeria Union of Teachers, the Christian Association of Nigeria, and the All Nigeria Confederation of Principals of Secondary Schools to intervene and support peaceful negotiations with the abductors.
“They are getting impatient and frustrated. Please help us. This does not call for force at all. Please just negotiate with them and dialogue with them,” she added.
The abduction has already recorded casualties. A mathematics teacher identified as Michael Oyedokun was reportedly beheaded by the attackers shortly after the incident. A motorcyclist was also killed, while a security operative reportedly died after stepping on improvised explosive devices allegedly planted by the kidnappers during an early rescue operation.
Oyo State authorities have maintained that efforts are ongoing to rescue the victims safely.
Governor Makinde, while receiving Muslim faithful during the Eid-el-Kabir celebrations at his private residence in Ibadan, assured residents that the government was working round the clock with security agencies to secure the release of the abducted children and teachers.
The Inspector-General of Police also approved the deployment of additional tactical and investigative personnel to support ongoing rescue operations in the state.
The Defence Headquarters similarly disclosed that troops had established contact with the abductors and were intensifying coordinated efforts to secure the victims’ freedom.
The incident has sparked widespread reactions on social media, with many Nigerians expressing concern over the increasing frequency of school attacks and mass kidnappings across parts of the country despite repeated government assurances on security improvements.
Analysts say the latest abduction again highlights the vulnerability of rural schools and the growing pressure on both federal and state authorities to strengthen intelligence gathering and community-based security responses in vulnerable areas.
