Kidnappers fed Oyo pupils garri, hit them for asking about family, Relative

The family of a pupil recently rescued after almost two months in captivity has shared the child’s frightening experience. They allege that the kidnappers beat him whenever he asked about his family and only fed the captives garri without sugar.

A relative of the pupil spoke during an interview shared by TVC News on Wednesday. The child, named Taiwo, has been telling them about his ordeal since coming home. He revealed that the abductors abused the victims physically and did not give them proper food.

“When he saw you people (journalists), he started clinging to us. They really stressed them in the forest. He has been narrating it to us. He said they beat him when he remembers us,” the relative said.

The family member added that Taiwo told them the captives mainly ate garri without sugar while they were in the forest. “When we asked him what they gave them to eat, he said that they usually gave them garri without sugar,” she said.

Fearful Reactions

Another relative described how the child reacted in fear upon seeing strangers after the rescue. “As soon as she saw you from afar, she clung to us,” one relative said. Another voice off camera added, “She wanted to start running into the bush. She was shaking.”

Another family member explained that the child has continued to talk about how the kidnappers punished them when they asked to see their loved ones. “They put them through a lot of suffering. She has been recounting her experience with the abductors to us since. She said that whenever she asked for her relatives, they would beat her,” the relative said.

PUNCH Online had previously reported that all the pupils and teachers kidnapped during the May 15 attack on schools in Oriire Local Government Area regained their freedom after a rescue operation by security agencies.

The Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, announced the rescue on Friday via his verified X handle.

The latest story from Taiwo’s family comes a day after Mrs Rachael Alamu, the principal of Community High School, also rescued, shared details of the victims’ 56-day nightmare in captivity.

Alamu revealed that the kidnappers often beat younger children when they cried. They covered the children’s mouths with pieces of cloth to keep them quiet. Both pupils and teachers had to make dangerous night-time journeys through forests to avoid security forces.

She also mentioned that while female victims were not physically harmed, the male teachers were blindfolded, handcuffed, and chained throughout the captivity.