The abducted principal of Community Grammar School, Esiele, Alamu Folawe, has, from captivity, made a fresh appeal to President Bola Tinubu and Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, urging them to pursue dialogue over force to secure the release of herself and other abductees still held by gunmen in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State.
In a video posted on Friday on Instagram by #Temilolasobola, a visibly distressed Mrs Alamu said she and other victims, including children, had been in the bush for 13 days since the attack, exposed to harsh weather conditions.
“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.
She specifically called on the Nigeria Union of Teachers and the Christian Association of Nigeria to intervene, warning that any attempt to use force could cost lives.
“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.
“We don’t need force, all they have to do is to negotiate with them and release us. Please, just negotiated with them and dialogue with them”, she added.
While carrying out the attack, mathematics teacher Michael Oyedokun was beheaded by the gunmen, a motorcyclist was killed, and a security personnel died after running into improvised explosive devices planted by the abductors during early rescue attempts.
Suspected terrorists subsequently opened communication channels with the state government, with sources revealing that the abductors refused to speak directly with the families of the victims, insisting they would only negotiate with the governor.
Makinde, while receiving his deputy and other Muslim faithful at his private residence in Ibadan during the Eid-el-Kabir celebration, assured that his administration was working round the clock to ensure the children were reunited with their families.
The Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Tunji Disu, also announced the deployment of additional detectives from the Force Headquarters, Abuja, to collaborate with the joint security team, while the Defence Headquarters said troops had made contact with the abductors and were working to ensure the rescue of the victims.
