Orire: How Kidnappers Dehumanised Us – Victim
A witness for the Department of State Services (DSS) on Thursday told the Federal High Court in Abuja how 49 students and teachers abducted from schools in Orire Local Government Area of Oyo State were subjected to what she described as a “dehumanising” ordeal during 56 days in captivity. The witness, identified as AAA for […]
On Thursday, a Department of State Services (DSS) witness testified in the Federal High Court in Abuja about the horrific ordeal faced by 49 students and teachers who were kidnapped in Orire Local Government Area of Oyo State. The witness, who remains anonymous for security reasons, described the 56-day captivity as a "dehumanising" experience.
The victims were moved through six different locations and forced to sleep on grass during heavy rain and intense sunshine. They were abducted by armed men on motorcycles who shot sporadically, preventing the students and teachers from escaping. The kidnappers claimed the release of Ansaru group members, not ransom, as their demand.
Two teachers among the captives were killed, and the kidnappers used their mobile phones to negotiate with relatives and officials. The captives suffered severe hunger, thirst, and stenchy water rationing, being forced to drink dirty water just to survive. They were initially fed rice, salt, and palm oil, but later only plain white rice after the supplies ran out.
The kidnappers flogged some young children to prevent them from struggling for food, and they went without bathing or washing clothes for the entire 56 days. The rescue occurred at the sixth camp after security forces engaged the kidnappers in a gun battle. The witness's testimony will be cross-examined by defense counsel on Friday, September 18, and the defendants will remain in DSS custody throughout the trial.
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