Oyo school abduction: DSS witness recounts 56-day ordeal of 49 victims

In May 2026, a survivor of a school abduction in Oriire Local Government Area, Oyo State, recounted to the Federal High Court in Abuja the harrowing ordeal the victims endured for 56 days. Identified as "AAA," the witness pleaded to remain anonymous to protect her identity. She described how the victims, including children as young as one-and-a-half years, were moved through six different locations in the bush, often barefoot, and exposed to extreme weather conditions.

According to her, water was scarce, and sometimes only one cup was shared among four victims. Initially, the captives were given rice mixed with salt and palm oil, but after the salt ran out, they subsisted on rice with palm oil. The witness also testified that the abductors, who were allegedly members of the terrorist group Jama'atu Ansarul Muslimina fi-Biladis Sudan (Ansaru), killed two teachers, Deacon John Olaleye and Michael Oyedokun, after accusing the government of not releasing detained members of their group.

Despite negotiations for their release, the captives struggled to survive without basic necessities. The witness described their living conditions as inhumane, with no access to bathing or washing clothes for the entire duration of their captivity. The water provided by the abductors was described as "dirty," forcing the victims to close their eyes while drinking it.

The witness' testimony is part of the prosecution against five defendants accused of terrorism, kidnapping, conspiracy, aiding terrorism, concealment of information about an impending terrorist act, and the killing of two teachers. The defendants, led by Mahmud Muhammad and Abubakar Abbas, pleaded not guilty to the seven counts against them. The judge ordered the defendants to remain in DSS custody throughout the trial.