University of Ibadan donate cash gifts to freed oriire abductees

University of Ibadan lecturers donate cash gift to freed Oriire abductees

Adebayo ADELEKE

The forty-four rescued teachers and students/pupils of Ahoro-Esinele and Yawota communities in Oriire local government area of Ogbomoso, Oyo state were Wednesday hosted by a team of lecturers from the University of Ibadan (UI) during which they were presented with cash donations, the amount though undisclosed.

The event held at the chamber room of the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology, Ogbomoso Zone 1 Office, Oja-Titun, was attended by delegates from UI led by Professor Ezekiel Ayoola (chairman of the ad-hoc committee on the support for Oriire rescued abductee), officials of the ministry, the freed victims and their families, widows of the slain victims, as well as well-wishers.

Other members of the delegation form UI are Professors Chinedu Babalola, Akin Odebunmi, Aina Adeogun, Adenike Emeke, Dr Ceceilia Oguntoyinbo, Dr Folorunso Eyitayo among others, while representing the ministry are Mr. Biodun Olubunmi Adisa (Permanent Secretary/Inspector General of Education Ogbomoso Zone 2), Mrs. Abosede Olabode, Mrs. Aderonke Kayode and Mr. Thomas Adisa, as well as Mrs. O.D. Oladipo, Mrs. F.T. Ajani and Mrs. Oluwakemi Amao.

In his address, Prof Ayoola explained the gesture was their widow’s mite to support the victims and identify with them.

He disclosed the money being gifted was pooled from voluntary donations from lecturers, revealing the lecturers who participated were close to 300.

“Beyond the intellectual discourse, a subset of the University’s academic staff considered it necessary to set up a palliative scheme to demonstrate, in real terms, our heartfelt solidarity with you. At the close of donations, 273 academic staff members of the University of Ibadan contributed the sum of Five Million, Eight Hundred and Eighty-five Naira (₦5,855,000.00k). As representatives of this collective, we are here to present this token as our gesture of support for you.

“We do this as an expression of our sympathetic recognition of the horrendous physical and mental consequences of the abduction on you and your loved ones, and as an insignia of our constant solidarity with you. We fervently pray that our land never experiences such an attack again. We acknowledge the grimness of what you have gone through, but we appeal to you not to lose faith in humanity and our nation. We enjoin you to leverage the experience to lend your hands to fighting hydra-headed terror, in your little ways.”

The retired professor commended the federal government, security agencies, Oyo state government, traditional rulers and all Nigerians for their support during the travail and in successfully rescuing the abductees.

He however noted government needs to do more in amplifying security situation in the country while stressing the need for proper rehabilitation of the freed victims, “Hence, we wish to appeal to other Nigerians of means, both home and abroad, to give to this cause generously. The affected persons need our support. In addition, our resolve to fight terror in our little corners must be more tenacious than ever. We must be vigilant to report strange movements, cooperate with security agencies, support community policing initiatives, avoid spreading unverified information, rumours or terrorist propaganda, and discourage narratives that promote violence, hatred or radicalisation,” he added.

Similarly, he prayed God “should repose the souls of all those who lost their lives in the course of the abduction and during the rescue operations, and comfort their families. Mr Joel Adesiyan, Mr Michael Oyedokun and Mr John Olaleye – these teachers paid the ultimate price. Mr Oluwasegun Akanni was listed by the Oyo State Government among the deceased civilians connected to the abduction incident. Lieutenant F.A. Isaac, Private Silas Musa and Sergeant Abena John Jerome were the security agents who lost their lives in the rescue operations. Others included Adigun Saibu, Isa Saliu and Rafiu Ayuba. Their doggedness and valour will remain permanently etched in our memories. It is our prayer that God Almighty will continue to protect our land from the ravaging agents of terror and give us lasting peace. May we not witness the reign of terror in our land again.”

Mr. Biodun Adisa (PS/IGE) lauded the “remarkable humanitarian gesture” of the university teachers, which he noted, “redefines the concept of gown and town.”

He said while many were arguing over the truth of the kidnap saga on the social media, the UI lecturers were busy thinking of how to help the victims, and succeeded in raising close to six million naira. “We appreciate this humanitarian gesture,” he maintained.

Mrs. Rachael Alamu (principal of Community High School, Ahoro Esinele) and Mrs. Delilat Oladeji, who spoke on behalf of the rescued teachers, expressed gratitude to God while recounting part of the traumatic experiences they went through. “Everyday felt like our last day, because the bandits kept threatening us that ‘we would kill one of you today,’” Mrs. Alamu recalled. “It got to a time that some of us passed bloody stool.”

She expressed thanks to the government and all Nigerians, saying at a time, “We thought government and Nigerians had abandoned us but we later knew everybody was concerned, praying and working to secure our release. It was a miracle our lives were preserved, particularly regarding these children, they endured the cold and hunger, it is God. With different creatures we saw every day and to now sleep at night imposed on us constant fear. There was a day one of the teachers was stung and initially we thought it was snake bite but it turned out to be a scorpion. When we went down sick the bandits would just give us some strange drug but God made it to be efficacious for us.”

Mrs. Oladeji, who said she was taking her breakfast in the staffroom when the bandits came with smoking guns, narrated amid sobs, “It was an awful experience, I cried one day when I noticed the children terribly emaciated, and I also saw myself too how I looked and when I thought I left a baby at home it saddened me.”

One of the children Olorunlowu Lydia broke down in tears as she began to narrate their experiences just as another, Olumeke Taiwo, became speechless and she started crying also, an emotional spectacle that drew tears from many in the gathering as well.

The amount raised was doled out to each of the three categories identified; widows of the slain teachers and motorcyclist, the rescued students/pupils, and the freed teachers, with Prof Emeke clarifying the committee used its discretion to share the six million naira contributed. It was disclosed some even sent their contributions during their trip from Ibadan.

Meanwhile, a leader of the Vigilante Group of Nigeria (VGN) in Oriire local government, Waheed Saka Omowale, called on government to consider his two members Yisa Saliu and Ayuba Rafiu and a local hunter killed during their standoff with the bandits (before the arrival of government security agents) submitting “their family members have been pestering me for government’s assistance after hearing of the monetary relief by the Senate. We appeal to government and other members of the public to render assistance to them and his other members who risked their lives during the encounters too. We catered for ourselves throughout; we need support to keep morale high.” To this request the UI teachers promised to look into it and get back to them.

ogbomosoinsightonline.com reports that May 15, 2026, bandits (later identified as members of the Jama’atu Ansarul Muslimeena Fi Biladis Sudan (Ansaru, an extremist faction historically associated with terrorist activities in Nigeria) attacked three schools in Oriire local government area viz: Baptist Nursery and Primary School, Yawota, Community Grammar School, Ahoro-Esinele and L.A. Primary School and abducted 39 learners and 7 teachers.

The victims would go on to spend 56 days in captivity before being rescued by a combined team of security forces including local security agencies. It is also reported that a primary school teacher (Mr. Joel Adesiyan) and a motorcyclist (Olusegun Akanni) were killed during the raid on the schools while two other teachers were slaughtered in captivity to according to the bandits, “pressure the government to accede to their demands of ransom and freeing of some of their commanders in jail.

A minute silent was observed in honour of the deceased.