Mrs. Rachael Folawe Alamu, the abducted Principal of Community High School, Esiele, in the Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State, has appeared in a viral video from captivity making an emotional appeal for rescue.
The video surfaced on Monday, marking exactly 25 days since her abduction alongside several pupils and teachers.
The victims were seized on May 15 during a fatal bandit attack targeting three local schools, an assault that tragically resulted in the death of one of the captive teachers.
In the footage, Mrs. Alamu strongly refuted widespread media reports claiming that the terrorists are demanding a N1 billion ransom, weapons, and the nationwide imposition of Sharia law.
She revealed that the abductors had shown the captives these print media reports, which she dismissed as dangerous falsehoods.
According to the principal, the kidnappers have neither forced them to worship in an Islamic way nor made any financial or ideological demands, stating that such rumors are only complicating their situation.
The captive principal clarified that the bandits have only one specific demand: the release of some of their detained members.
She urged the federal and state governments to enter into direct negotiations with the group to identify the individuals in question and secure a swap. “The single thing they are asking for is the release of some of their people,” Alamu stated, pleading with authorities to address the actual terms of the captors rather than acting on misinformation.
Expressing deep concern over the narrative surrounding their plight, Alamu warned that misinformation could jeopardize ongoing rescue efforts.
She passionately appealed to Nigerians to help her message go viral, accusing certain factions of playing politics with the lives of the hostages.
The principal emphasized that misrepresenting the crisis to the public and the international community only delays their freedom and heightens the danger they face daily in the forest.
Concluding her emotional address, Mrs. Alamu placed the fate of the remaining captives squarely in the hands of the public and the government, begging for immediate intervention. “Please, Nigerians, our lives are in your hands,” she cried out, reiterating that no money or weapons are being sought.
Security agencies and the Oyo State government are yet to issue an official response to the video or clarify the current status of the rescue operations.
