A heart-wrenching video released from captivity has revealed the desperate plight of Mrs. Alamu, principal of Community Grammar School, Esinele, Oyo State, as she and dozens of kidnapped students and teachers continue to languish in the hands of their abductors.
The emotional footage, recorded on Children’s Day, two weeks after the victims were seized by armed men, shows a visibly distressed Mrs. Alamu pleading with government authorities and Nigerians to save their lives before it is too late.
“We are under the sun. We are under the rain. The children and the adults as well. Please help us. Don’t leave us here. Don’t forget us in the bush,” she cried, her voice heavy with fear and exhaustion.
The victims were abducted on May 15, 2026, when gunmen stormed Community Grammar School in Esinele. In what security observers describe as a coordinated attack, the same armed group reportedly raided The Baptist Nursery and Primary School in Yawota on the same day, carting away additional teachers and pupils.
For nearly two weeks, the captives have allegedly endured harsh conditions in the wilderness, exposed to scorching sunlight, torrential rain, cold nights, hunger, and uncertainty, with no shelter or relief.
One of the captives, a Mathematics teacher, was beheaded.
In the chilling video dated May 27, Mrs. Alamu appealed directly to President Bola Tinubu, Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde, the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT), the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), and concerned citizens across the country.
“Please help us in the name of God,” she begged.
“The children are suffering. We are suffering. Please answer them on time. Please don’t let them waste our lives.”
Her appeal took an even more alarming turn as she disclosed that the kidnappers had become increasingly agitated following an attempted rescue operation by security forces.
According to her, the operation may have worsened their situation, provoking threats of deadly retaliation from the captors.
“The force that they used yesterday has caused us so much,” she said. “It has heightened our problems. In fact, one of us has been picked that they are going to kill him because government tried to help us by force.”
With tears in her voice, she repeatedly urged authorities to pursue dialogue rather than military action, insisting that negotiations offered the best chance of saving the lives of the hostages.
“We don’t need force. All they have to do is negotiate with them and release us,” she pleaded.
The disturbing images and desperate words have triggered widespread outrage across Nigeria, reigniting concerns about the growing wave of kidnappings targeting schools and vulnerable communities.
Many Nigerians have expressed shock that educators and children are being forced to appeal publicly for their lives while families wait helplessly for news of their loved ones.
Human rights advocates have described the prolonged captivity of the students and teachers as a grave assault on human dignity and fundamental rights, warning that every passing day increases the danger facing the hostages.
Civil society organisations have called on both federal and state authorities to intensify efforts to secure the victims’ safe return while strengthening protections for schools increasingly threatened by criminal gangs and armed groups.
As the ordeal enters its third week, fear continues to grip the affected communities. Parents remain trapped in anguish, uncertain whether their children will return home alive, while colleagues and relatives cling desperately to hope.
For now, Mrs. Alamu’s haunting words echo across the nation: “Please help us. Please. Please help us. Don’t just leave us here. Don’t forget us in the bush.”
It is a plea that has become a painful symbol of Nigeria’s worsening security crisis—and a test of how quickly authorities can act before another tragedy unfolds.