Twenty-five days after being abducted by armed bandits, the Principal of Community High School, Esiele, in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State, Mrs. Rachael Folawe Alamu, has appeared in a video circulating online, appealing to Nigerians and government authorities to intervene and facilitate the release of those still being held captive.
In the emotional footage released on Monday, the school administrator refuted reports suggesting that the abductors were demanding a ransom of N1 billion, weapons, or the implementation of Sharia law across Nigeria as conditions for releasing the victims.
Mrs. Alamu was among several teachers and pupils kidnapped during a deadly attack carried out by bandits on May 15, 2026. The attack targeted Baptist Nursery and Primary School in Yawota, Community Grammar School in Esiele, and L.A. Primary School. The incident resulted in multiple abductions, while one of the teachers was reportedly killed while in captivity.
Addressing the public in the video, the principal explained that she felt compelled to speak because of what she described as misleading reports circulating in some sections of the media regarding the demands of the kidnappers.
She disclosed that the captives had been shown newspaper publications claiming that their abductors were seeking the release of certain individuals, demanding N1 billion, and insisting on the establishment of Sharia law in Nigeria.
According to her, those reports were inaccurate and only served to complicate efforts aimed at securing their freedom.
“Please, I have come to make some clarifications. Today makes it the 25th day that we have been in this place and it seems that some people are making our problems complicated already.
“We were shown some print media where it was stated that the people who abducted us requested the release of some people.
“That they requested N1 billion, that they requested that Sharia be entrenched in the country. These are not true. They are just trying to create problems for us.
“We have been here, and we have not been forced to worship in an Islamic way. We have been left alone. They have not troubled us concerning that. They are not asking for Sharia law. They are not asking for money.
“The single thing they are asking for is the release of some of their people. I don’t know why they are peddling this rumour to make it complicated for us.”
Mrs. Alamu urged Nigerians, government officials, and other stakeholders not to politicise the situation, warning that inaccurate narratives could jeopardise ongoing efforts to secure the release of the hostages.
She passionately appealed for support, asking citizens to amplify her message and help ensure that the true situation is understood.
“Please, we are just begging you. Don’t play politics with our lives. Nigerians, please help us to circulate this. Let it go viral.
“They are not asking for Sharia law. It is not true. They are not asking for weapons. They are not asking for money.
“All they want is the release of some people, and the government will negotiate with them and know those that they will release for them. I don’t know why they are playing politics with our lives.”
Continuing her appeal, the principal expressed concern that misinformation surrounding the abduction could mislead both Nigerians and the international community.
“Please, Nigerians, our lives are in your hands. Help us make this go viral. Don’t let the government deceive the whole world.
“They are not asking for Sharia. They are not asking for money. They are not asking for weapons. All they want is the release of some of their people.”
Meanwhile, the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) have issued a strong warning to the Federal Government over the worsening security situation across the country, threatening a nationwide industrial action if urgent measures are not taken to address the crisis.
The labour unions made their position known during a joint media briefing held on the sidelines of the ongoing 114th International Labour Conference in Geneva, Switzerland.
Expressing concern over the growing incidents of kidnappings, killings, and attacks on workers, the labour leaders said insecurity had become one of the greatest threats to productivity and decent work in Nigeria.
Speaking on behalf of the labour movement, NLC President Joe Ajaero and TUC Deputy President Oyibo Jimoh lamented that many workers now face serious risks simply by going to their workplaces.
They noted that communities are increasingly under attack, farmers are unable to access their farmlands, teachers are being kidnapped and killed, while healthcare workers continue to face threats while carrying out their duties.
“In Nigeria, the crisis of insecurity has reached such frightening dimensions that workers now risk their very lives simply to report to duty. Communities are being overrun, farmers chased from their fields, teachers abducted from their schools and beheaded, and health workers attacked in their clinics. This is not a marginal issue; it is the central threat to decent work.
“No amount of policy rhetoric can create employment or protect labour rights where the most basic human rights, the right to live, are not guaranteed.”
The labour leaders warned that if the security situation continues to deteriorate, organised labour may be left with no option but to direct workers to stay at home for their own safety.
“If this continues unchecked, we may have no choice but to advise our members to stay at home, not as a strike, but as a desperate act of survival. The Nigeria Union of Teachers, NUT, has kick-started it; the NLC and TUC will be compelled to escalate it if nothing is done immediately, as we had said during the last May Day.
“We will remind the government again of the need to hold a dialogue on the crisis of survival in our nation.”
The labour centres also turned their attention to the approaching 2027 general elections, urging political actors to reflect on the state of insecurity before embarking on campaigns.
According to them, political ambitions should not take precedence over the protection of lives and property.
“We urge the politicians to reflect on the security of the lives they want to rule. Is canvassing for votes in the midst of the huge loss of lives and properties morally acceptable?
“In any case, the trade union movement will not be voting fodder for any political party that visits us only at election time. We are finalising a Charter of Demands, and we will only support candidates and parties that commit concretely to workers’ rights, to security, to functional education, to public healthcare, and to ending the haemorrhaging of national wealth through illicit financial flows.
“Those who have actively abused workers and undermined trade union freedoms will face our organised rejection.”
The statements from both the abducted principal and organised labour underscore growing concerns about insecurity across the country, with calls mounting for decisive action to protect citizens and secure the release of those still held by criminal groups.
