Negotiate with our captors, spare our lives', abducted Oyo school head pleads with Tinubu and Makinde

Rachael Alamu, the principal of Community High School in Ahoro-Esinle, Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State, has made a desperate plea to President Bola Tinubu and Governor Seyi Makinde to engage in dialogue with her captors to secure the release of the remaining hostages.

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Alamu, who was abducted on May 15, along with staff members and students, after armed men attacked three schools in the Ahoro-Esinle/Yawota area of Oriire in Ogbomoso, is calling for a peaceful resolution to the crisis.

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The attackers, who arrived on motorcycles, kidnapped dozens of pupils, students, and teachers from Community High School, L.A. Primary School, Esinle, and Yawota Baptist Nursery and Primary School, and killed an assistant headmaster, Adesiyan, and a commercial motorcyclist in the process.

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According to Governor Makinde, seven teachers were abducted during the raid, and one of them, Michael Oyedokun, was later killed in captivity, with a video surfacing days later allegedly showing Oyedokun being beheaded after being tied to a tree.

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In a video shared on Instagram on Friday, Alamu begged the federal and state governments not to attempt a forceful rescue operation, citing the kidnappers' threat to kill another captive following recent security operations aimed at rescuing them.

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Alamu's plea to the government was clear: "Please, I am here again to beg the government, President Bola Tinubu and Governor Seyi Makinde, to help us and dialogue with these people.

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She warned that the use of force would only exacerbate the situation, saying "The force they used yesterday has caused us so much pain, it has added to our problem."

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Alamu revealed that the kidnappers had already picked out one of the captives to be killed, saying "In fact, one of us has been picked, and they said they will kill him because the government tried to help us by force."

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In another clip, Alamu stated that the victims had spent nearly two weeks in the bush under harsh weather conditions, saying "Today is the 27th of May, 2026, it has been about 13 days since we were picked from work."

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She appealed to President Tinubu, Governor Seyi, and other well-meaning Nigerians to help them, saying "We are begging you, President Tinubu, Governor Seyi, and all other well-meaning Nigerians to please help us."

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Alamu also called on ANCOPSS and NUT to intervene, saying "I am calling on ANCOPSS and NUT to help us talk to them."

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She emphasized that peaceful negotiation was the best option for securing their release, saying "You don’t need force, all you have to do is negotiate with them and release us."

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Alamu painted a dire picture of the captives' situation, saying "We are in the cold, under the sun and rain, the children and all of us are here, please, we are begging you, don’t let them waste our lives."

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The kidnappers' frustration and impatience were palpable, according to Alamu, who said "They are getting impatient and frustrated."

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As of the time of filing this report, it was unclear whether the kidnappers had made fresh demands to the government.