The abducted principal of Community Grammar School, Esiele, Mrs. Alamu Folawe, has made a fresh appeal to President Bola Tinubu and Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, urging them to pursue dialogue over force to secure her release and other abductees still held by gunmen in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State.
In an Instagram video posted by a popular blogger, #Temilolasobola on Friday, a visibly distressed Mrs Alamu said she and other victims, including children, had been in the bush for 13 days since the attack, exposed to harsh weather conditions.
“We are in the cold, we are under the sun, we are under the rain, the children and the adults as well. Please, we are begging you, don’t let them waste our lives,” she said.
She specifically called on the Nigeria Union of Teachers and the Christian Association of Nigeria to intervene, warning that any attempt to use force could cost lives.
“The force that they used yesterday has cost us so much. It has added to our problems. In fact, someone among us has been picked and they are going to kill him because government tried to help us by force,” she said.
“We don’t need force, all they have to do is to negotiate with them and release us. Please, just negotiate with them and dialogue with them,” she added.
The appeal comes nearly two weeks after gunmen attacked three schools, Community High School, Ahoro-Esinele, Baptist Nursery and Primary School, Yamota, and L.A. Primary School, Alawusa, abducted seven teachers and 39 students on May 15, 2026.
During the attack, the gunmen killed a motorcyclist, a security personnel died after running into improvised explosive devices they planted in early rescue attempts, before beheading the mathematics teacher, Michael Oyedokun.
Suspected terrorists subsequently opened communication channels with the state government, with sources revealing that they refused to speak directly with the families of the victims, insisting they would only negotiate with the governor.
Speaking while hosting his deputy and other Muslim faithful at his residence in Ibadan during the Eid-el-Kabir celebration, Governor Makinde assured that his administration was working round the clock to ensure the children were reunited with their families.
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