Freed Oyo Kidnap Victim Challenges ‘Rescue’ Narrative, Recounts 56 Days in Terrorists’ Captivity

 

A survivor of the May 15, 2026 mass abduction of students and teachers in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State has disputed claims that the victims were rescued, insisting they were released by their captors after spending 56 harrowing days in captivity.

Speaking about the ordeal, Mr. Zacheaus Olatunde gave a chilling account of life inside the terrorists’ camp, including how two captives, Mr. Michael Oyedokun and Deacon John Olaleye, allegedly lost their lives.

According to Olatunde, Oyedokun was allegedly killed after failing to surrender a mobile phone when the captives were ordered to hand over all electronic devices upon arriving at the camp.

He claimed one of the terrorists discovered the phone during a search, leading to an altercation before the group’s commander allegedly ordered that the teacher be executed for disobeying instructions.

Olatunde further alleged that Olaleye was later killed after the terrorists accused security forces of moving too close to their hideout despite previous warnings.

He said both victims were taken away from the other captives before they were allegedly killed.

The survivor described the 56-day ordeal as brutal, alleging that the victims were chained, handcuffed and blindfolded for most of their captivity and were only allowed to relieve themselves with the permission of their captors. He also claimed the terrorists frequently relocated them to different camps and subjected them to physical assaults.

According to him, the kidnappers regularly observed Islamic prayers and Qur’an recitations and allegedly prohibited the Christian captives from praying or mentioning the name of Jesus, beating anyone caught doing so.

Olatunde also claimed the terrorists repeatedly said their primary demand was not ransom but the release of their detained members.

On how the captives regained their freedom, he alleged that the terrorists voluntarily released them after learning that some of their family members had been taken by security forces.

According to his account, the captors directed the victims along a route that would eventually lead them to security personnel waiting to receive them.

He further claimed that after reaching safety, military officers showed him photographs of suspected terrorists and informed him that several suspects had been arrested while others had been neutralised.

The victims, he said, survived largely on plain rice, sometimes mixed with red palm oil, throughout their captivity, although conditions reportedly improved in the final days before their release.

While expressing gratitude for surviving the ordeal, Olatunde lamented the deaths of Michael Oyedokun and John Olaleye, describing their loss as deeply painful.

The account has not been independently verified, and Nigerian security agencies have yet to publicly respond to the survivor’s claims regarding the circumstances surrounding the victims’ release.