A 15-year-old pupil, Bello Hassan, who was among those abducted from schools in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State, has recounted his 56-day ordeal in captivity, declaring his readiness to return to school despite the experience.
Hassan spoke with journalists on Wednesday shortly after he and other rescued pupils and teachers were discharged from the Ladoke Akintola University of Technology Teaching Hospital, where they received medical care and psychological support.
The teenager said he was in the middle of a test when armed men invaded his school and forced pupils and teachers into the forest at gunpoint.
“When I was in captivity, I was scared that my parents were at home and there was nobody to save me. I was in school writing a test when the gunmen invaded the school. When we saw the guns with the gunmen, we were scared, and they ordered us to march out and follow them,” he said.
Hassan recalled that the victims trekked for an entire day before arriving at the kidnappers’ camp around 7 p.m., after which they were moved between different locations.
“We didn’t know where they took us, and we trekked for a day. We got to their location around 7 p.m. They moved us from one location to another for days,” he said.
He added that the captives were kept under trees and exposed to harsh weather conditions.
“They cooked rice for us. They asked the females among us to cook for us, and later they started cooking for us. Whenever rain was about to fall, they covered us with nylon because we stayed under the tree,” Hassan said.
According to him, while the abductors did not physically assault the pupils, they flogged the teachers and imposed strict control over the group.
“The gunmen didn’t beat us, but only flogged our teachers. They didn’t allow us to play around or do whatever we liked,” he added.
On reports that two teachers, identified as Mr Michael and Deacon, were killed, Hassan said he did not witness the incident.
“No, I didn’t witness it. They were killed in another place,” he said.
He also noted that the abductors communicated in English, Hausa and other languages during their time in captivity.
Despite the trauma, Hassan expressed determination to continue his education.
“Since my return, I am not afraid. If God wills, I will return to school in the area,” he said.
