A teacher who was rescued alongside pupils abducted in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State has explained why the children were seen wearing native attire after regaining their freedom.
According to the teacher, the kidnappers ordered the pupils and teachers to remove their school uniforms shortly after they were taken into captivity. They were forced to wear locally made clothes to make it difficult for security operatives and members of the public to identify them as kidnapped schoolchildren if they were seen while being moved through villages or forests. The victims were also relocated repeatedly, mostly at night, as the kidnappers tried to avoid security forces searching for them.
The pupils and teachers spent about 56 days in captivity before they were rescued during a coordinated intelligence-led operation involving the Nigerian Army and other security agencies. A total of 44 victims regained their freedom, although two teachers were killed during the period of captivity.
The rescued victims have since been reunited with their families, while the Oyo State Government has assured residents that efforts are ongoing to improve security around schools and prevent similar attacks in the future.
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