Freed Teacher Reveals Details of 56-Day Kidnapping Ordeal

Zacheri Olatund, a teacher recently freed after 56 days in captivity, disclosed that his kidnappers washed their clothes when they began to smell. This statement was made to counter online claims suggesting the abduction was staged.

Olatund, along with 43 others, was abducted on May 15, 2023, from three schools in Oriir Local Government Area, Oyo State. The incident involved armed men who seized 46 pupils and teachers, including school principal Folaw Alamu.

During the ordeal, a mathematics teacher, Michael Oyedokun, was beheaded. Olatund emphasized that the kidnappers only washed their clothes a few times and refuted claims that the victims appeared suspiciously neat upon release.

He clarified that the matching outfits worn by the pupils upon their release were in accordance with a state government directive. The rescue operation, confirmed by the presidency, involved the Nigerian Army, Police Department, Civil Defence Corps, and local vigilante groups, with no ransom reportedly paid for their release.