Rescued Oyo student shares story of courage after abduction
A 15-year-old student, Bello Hassan, has spoken about his experience after being abducted from his school in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State. Along with other pupils and teachers, Bello Hassan spent 56 days in captivity before being rescued. He described the challenges they faced, including long treks, living under trees, and strict restrictions from their captors. Despite the ordeal, Bello Hassan says he is not afraid to return to school.
What we know
- Bello Hassan was abducted while writing a test at his school and forced into the forest by armed men.
- The victims trekked for an entire day before reaching the kidnappers’ camp, where they lived under trees and were moved between locations.
- The abductors communicated in English, Hausa, and other languages, and made the female victims cook before taking over the task themselves.
- While the pupils were not physically assaulted, the teachers were regularly flogged and all captives faced strict restrictions.
- After their rescue, the victims received medical and psychological support at the Ladoke Akintola University of Technology Teaching Hospital in Ogbomoso.
