Nearly two months after surviving one of Oyo State’s most horrifying school abductions, 15-year-old Bello Hassan has given a chilling account of life inside the kidnappers’ forest camp, revealing how he and other captives listened helplessly as their teacher, Mr. Michael Oyedokun, was led away and killed.
Bello recounted the fear, uncertainty and emotional trauma he endured after armed bandits stormed his school during examinations on May 15, 2026, abducting dozens of pupils and teachers from three schools in Oriire Local Government Area.
The teenager said the attackers invaded the school while students were writing tests, firing gunshots to instill fear before forcing everyone into the forest.
“We were taking our tests when they came. They had guns and were shooting, so we had no choice but to follow them. We walked for hours before reaching where they kept us,” Bello said.
He described the anguish of being separated from his parents, saying the uncertainty of captivity was one of the most frightening experiences of his life.
“I was scared because I was there without my parents,” he recalled.
According to Bello, the abductors constantly moved the hostages from one location to another, apparently to evade security operatives searching the forest. Although they were held against their will, the kidnappers ensured the captives were fed.
He said the gunmen initially prepared meals themselves before allowing some of the women among the hostages to cook. The arrangement was later reversed, with the kidnappers once again taking charge of meal preparation.
“We moved from one place to another. They cooked rice for us. At one point they allowed the women to cook, but later they started cooking again themselves,” he said.
Bello added that every aspect of their lives was tightly controlled, leaving the captives with virtually no freedom throughout their ordeal.
The most haunting memory, however, was the killing of their teacher, Mr. Michael Oyedokun.
According to Bello, the kidnappers separated the teacher from the rest of the hostages before executing him.
“They took our teacher, Mr. Michael, to one side. I did not witness the killing, but we heard him shouting. The same thing happened to a Deacon, who was also killed,” he said.
The teenager also disclosed that the kidnappers communicated in several languages, including English, Hausa and Fulfulde, suggesting the group comprised individuals from different backgrounds.
“They spoke English, Hausa and Fulani. Whenever it rained, they covered us with nylon. It was only after we were rescued that we got new clothes,” Bello said.
Despite the trauma he endured, Bello said he has not abandoned his dream of continuing his education. Asked whether he would return to school in the same community where the attack occurred, he expressed cautious optimism.
“If God wills it, I will return to school in this area,” he said.
Bello is among the pupils rescued after security operatives intensified operations against the kidnappers. The surviving hostages reportedly regained their freedom after their captors abandoned them deep inside a forest while fleeing sustained pressure from a joint security task force.
The rescue operation, carried out after weeks of coordinated ground offensives, ended a nightmare that began on May 15, when armed bandits invaded three schools in Oriire Local Government Area, abducting 39 pupils and seven teachers in one of the deadliest attacks on educational institutions in Oyo State.
While the successful rescue has brought relief to affected families, Bello’s testimony has exposed the horrific conditions inside the kidnappers’ camp and underscored the deep psychological scars left on the victims, renewing concerns over the persistent threat of violent attacks on schools across Nigeria.