By Abigail David
A teacher rescued from the mass abduction of pupils and staff in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State, Zachery Olatunde, has explained that the pupils were wearing matching native attire when they regained freedom because they had been abducted on a Friday, the designated day for traditional wear in many primary schools.
Speaking in a video shared by Oyo Matters, Olatunde said the clarification was necessary following social media claims suggesting the coordinated outfits indicated the kidnapping had been staged.
According to him, the pupils were still wearing the same clothes they had on when gunmen attacked their schools on May 15.
He added that while the teachers wore native attire, secondary school students were in their regular school uniforms, in line with existing school practices.
Olatunde also addressed claims that the victims appeared relatively clean after spending 56 days in captivity, saying the abductors occasionally allowed them to wash their clothes when they became excessively dirty.
He dismissed allegations that the abduction was staged, pointing to the deaths of two victims during the ordeal as evidence of the seriousness of the incident.
The Federal Government announced on July 10 that all 44 abducted pupils and teachers had been rescued during a coordinated security operation. The victims were taken from three schools in Oriire Local Government Area on May 15 before regaining their freedom after nearly two months in captivity.
Authorities have maintained that the rescue operation was carried out without the payment of ransom or concessions to the abductors.
