A witness has told the Federal High Court in Abuja how 49 students and teachers abducted from schools in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State allegedly endured 56 days in captivity under harsh conditions.
The witness, identified as ‘AAA’ to protect her identity, said the victims were moved between six different locations during the ordeal, often barefoot, while sleeping on grass and being exposed to rain and intense sunlight.
She gave the account on Thursday before Justice Salim Olasupo Ibrahim during the trial of five defendants accused of belonging to the proscribed Ansaru terrorist group, after the victims were allegedly abducted from schools in Oriire LGA on May 15, 2026.
Led in evidence by the Director of Public Prosecutions of the Federation, Rotimi Oyedepo, SAN, the witness said the attackers arrived at the schools on 12 motorcycles, shooting sporadically and preventing the students and teachers from escaping.
According to her, the abductors took the victims into the bush, with about four people reportedly packed onto each motorcycle, while a vehicle belonging to one of the teachers was also used to transport some of the captives.
She told the court that two teachers, Deacon John Olaleye and Michael Oyedokun, were allegedly taken out on separate occasions and beheaded after the kidnappers accused the government of failing to meet their demands for the release of detained members of their group.
The witness further described severe shortages of food and water in captivity, saying the victims at one point survived on rice and palm oil before being reduced to eating plain rice, while about four people had to share a cup of water.
She said the ordeal ended when security forces engaged the kidnappers in a gun battle at the sixth camp, leading to the victims’ rescue. The defence counsel, Bala Dakum, is expected to cross-examine the witness on Friday, while the court ordered that the defendants remain in DSS custody throughout the trial.
