A teacher rescued from the school abduction in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State, Zachery Olatunde, has dismissed claims that the incident was staged, revealing that the abductors occasionally washed the captives’ clothes during their 56 days in captivity.
Speaking in a video shared by Oyo Matters, Olatunde said the kidnappers washed the victims’ clothing whenever they became excessively dirty and smelly, explaining why some of the rescued pupils and teachers appeared cleaner than many people expected after regaining their freedom.
He also addressed public speculation over photographs showing some of the rescued pupils wearing matching Ankara outfits, clarifying that the clothing was in line with the Oyo State policy requiring primary school pupils to wear native attire on Fridays.
Olatunde maintained that the abduction was genuine, noting that two victims died during the ordeal. He urged Nigerians to stop spreading false narratives, stressing that the victims endured a traumatic experience.
The pupils and teachers were abducted from three schools in Oriire Local Government Area on May 15 and regained their freedom on July 10 following a joint security operation involving multiple security agencies. The Presidency has maintained that no ransom was paid to secure their release.
