Oyo Teacher Speaks on Fear After Pupils Are Rescued

A teacher at Community High School in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State said pupils and teachers have returned to school after the rescue of those kidnapped. But fear still remains because there is no visible security around the school.

The teacher, who did not share his name in the TVC interview posted on Wednesday, spoke after the abducted pupils and teachers were freed. They spent nearly two months in captivity.

He remembered that after the abduction, only about half of the students came back to school. Many parents chose to keep their children at home due to safety worries.

"The teachers, the principals, everybody were around. But unfortunately, we could only meet about half of the students. So, what we did was just to encourage them that, very soon, by God’s grace, the remaining students and the students in the bush would be released," he said.

He thanked God for the successful rescue of the kidnapped pupils and teachers, saying it encouraged more students to return to classes.

"We’ll give glory to God. On Friday, God did it. And we were able to come back to school on Monday," he added.

According to him, the return of those rescued has helped parents and pupils feel a bit safer.

"When we were in school already, we were able to encourage the students to come in because the students and the teachers that were kidnapped, they are already in town. So, that will give them the boldness to come around," he said.

The teacher noted that the school has seen improved attendance since the rescue. He said academic activities, including exams, have started again.

"By the grace of God, yesterday, we recorded an increased number of students in that school. And today, we just finished writing the NECO examination in our school. We wrote English Language. I’m one of the teachers coordinating and invigilating the students," he said.

Even with school activities back to normal, he admitted that many teachers are still dealing with trauma from the incident.

"Somehow, because as I was interacting with some of my colleagues now, the fear is still there. We have to be sincere. The fear is still there," he said.

He explained that talking about the abduction still makes some staff members anxious.

"One way or the other, we are still discussing the situation. So, when we mention the situation, when we talk about it, some of them will still be in panic," he said.

The teacher called on the government to improve security around rural schools. Many teachers feel uncertain about their safety because there are no visible security personnel.

"Coming from a government school to work in a village like this, some of the teachers are doubting; they are not very sure what the government has provided in the form of security," he said.

He added that having security around the school would help teachers and pupils feel safer.

"Our concern is basically on what governments are doing to boost the security of the whole place. So, if the security apparatus are in place, the fear will be a little bit down. But presently, because of the fact that you cannot see army, police around us in the school environment, the fear is still there," the teacher said.

PUNCH Online reported that pupils and teachers kidnapped by gunmen from schools in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State were freed after spending 57 days in captivity. This followed a coordinated rescue operation by security agencies. During the attack, two teachers, Michael Oyedokun and Esiyan Adegboye, lost their lives.