Don’t Politicise Our Plight": Abducted Oyo Principal Debunks N1bn Ransom, Sharia Demands from Captivity

IBADAN, Nigeria — Mrs. Rachael Alamu, the abducted principal of ⁠Community High School, Ahoro-Esinle in the Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State, has released a poignant video message from captivity, vehemently denying widespread media reports regarding her abductors' demands.Speaking on Monday, June 8, 2026—marking her 24th day in the custody of terrorists—Alamu urged the federal government and the public not to allow misinformation to complicate the rescue of over 40 students and teachers.Debunking the Media NarrativeIn the viral footage circulated online, Alamu revealed that her captors showed the hostages print media clippings detailing claims that the bandits were demanding a N1 billion ransom, a prisoner swap, and the nationwide enforcement of Sharia law.The distraught school principal explicitly refuted these headlines, stating:"These are not true. They are just trying to create problems for us. We have been here, and since then, we have not been forced to worship in an Islamic way. We have been left alone; they have not troubled us concerning that. The single thing they are asking for is the release of some of their people."Alamu accused external actors of "playing politics" with the lives of the hostages and warned that inaccurate journalism is actively endangering the victims.The Genesis of the CrisisThe crisis began on the morning of Friday, May 15, 2026, when heavily armed gunmen launched a coordinated assault on schools within the Ahoro-Esinle/Yawota axis near Ogbomoso. The bandits breached Community Grammar School, Baptist Nursery and Primary School (Yawota), and L.A. Primary School (Esiele), forcefully marching away Alamu, seven teachers, and 39 schoolchildren into a dense forest reserve.Warnings Against Tactical InterventionThe latest video marks the third time Alamu has appeared in distress clips pleading for intervention from ⁠President Bola Tinubu and Governor Seyi Makinde. In previous weeks, she cautioned security agencies against using kinetic force.According to her earlier accounts, a previous forceful rescue attempt by state forces provoked the terrorists into retaliatory measures, resulting in the alleged selection of at least one captive for execution to pressure the state.As the hostages enter their fourth week in the forest under harsh weather conditions, local community leaders and the families of the abducted children continue to mount pressure on the Oyo State Government to prioritize safe, diplomatic dialogue to ensure a secure release