Orire Kidnap: 49 Students, Teachers Endured 56 Days Of Hunger, Torture In Captivity

A witness for the Department of State Services (DSS) has told the Federal High Court in Abuja how 49 students and teachers abducted from schools in Orire Local Government Area of Oyo State allegedly endured 56 days of hunger, harsh conditions and physical abuse while in captivity.

The witness, identified as AAA for security reasons, gave the account on Thursday while testifying before Justice Salim Olasupo Ibrahim in the trial of the alleged kidnappers.

Led in evidence by the Director of Public Prosecutions of the Federation, Mr Rotimi Oyedepo, SAN, the DSS witness said the victims were moved through six different camps during their captivity and were forced to walk barefooted and sleep on grass, exposing them to heavy rainfall and intense sunlight.

She said the ordeal was particularly traumatic because children as young as one and a half years old, including pre-nursery pupils, were among the abductees.

According to the witness, the victims were abducted when armed men invaded their schools on motorcycles, shooting sporadically and preventing the students and teachers from escaping.

She said about 12 motorcycles were used during the operation, with each motorcycle carrying approximately four persons, while a Toyota car belonging to one of the teachers was also used to transport some of the victims.

The witness told the court that after taking the victims into the bush, the leader of the kidnappers informed them that they were being held to negotiate the release of members of the Ansaru group and not for ransom.

She further alleged that two teachers were taken away and killed on separate occasions after the kidnappers accused the government of failing to take their demands seriously.

The witness said the kidnappers also seized the victims’ mobile phones and used them to contact their relatives and government officials during negotiations.

Describing the conditions in captivity, she said the victims endured severe hunger and prolonged thirst, with water rationed among them.

She told the court that at some point, about four victims were forced to share one cup of water.

The witness said the water was dirty and had an offensive smell, but the victims had no alternative.

«“We had to drink the dirty water just to survive,” she told the court.»

She said the victims were initially fed rice mixed with salt and palm oil, but their meals became increasingly inadequate after the supplies ran out.

According to her, the captors eventually served them only plain white rice.

The witness also alleged that some of the younger children were flogged by the kidnappers to stop them from struggling for food, while meals were distributed in plastic containers.

She said the victims were not allowed to bathe or wash their clothes throughout the 56 days, leaving them in a severely unhygienic condition when they were eventually rescued.

The witness said the rescue operation took place at the sixth camp after security forces engaged the kidnappers in a gun battle and succeeded in freeing the victims.

Following the testimony, defence counsel, Mr Bala Dakum, is expected to cross-examine the witness on Friday, September 18.

Justice Ibrahim also ordered that the defendants remain in DSS custody throughout the duration of the trial.