One of the teachers rescued after spending nearly two months in kidnappers' custody in Oyo State has revealed that the abductors occasionally washed the victims' clothes during their captivity to reduce the stench from their bodies.
The teacher, Zachery Olatunde, made the revelation while dismissing social media claims that the rescue of the pupils and teachers was staged because they appeared too clean after regaining their freedom.
Olatunde spoke in a video shared online, insisting that the victims endured severe hardship during the 56 days they spent in the Old Oyo National Park before security operatives secured their release.
According to him, the kidnappers took it upon themselves to wash the captives' clothes after they had become dirty and emitted offensive odours due to the prolonged stay in the forest.
"They washed our clothes a few times because we had started smelling. People should look at our appearance. We were dirty, our beards were overgrown and we looked completely worn out," he said.
He described allegations that the abduction was fabricated as baseless, noting that two lives were lost during the incident, a development he said clearly showed the ordeal was genuine.
"If the kidnapping had been arranged, would two people have died? We went through a painful experience. Those making such claims are simply mistaken," he added.
Olatunde also explained why many of the rescued primary school pupils were seen wearing similar native outfits after their release, saying they were complying with the Oyo State Government's directive for pupils to wear traditional attire on Fridays.
He appealed to members of the public to stop spreading misinformation, maintaining that the victims truly experienced weeks of suffering in the hands of their abductors.
The victims were kidnapped on May 15 after armed men invaded Community Grammar School, Baptist Nursery and Primary School, and L.A. Primary School in Oriire Local Government Area, abducting dozens of pupils and teachers.
Assistant Headmaster Joel Adesiyan was shot dead while trying to flee during the attack, while Mathematics teacher Michael Oyedokun was later killed by the kidnappers during the period of captivity.
The remaining victims were rescued on July 10 during a coordinated operation involving the military, police, Department of State Services, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, Amotekun Corps and local vigilantes, with the Presidency stating that no ransom was paid for their freedom.
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