The abducted principal of Community Grammar School, Esiele in Oyo State, Mrs Alamu Folawe, has appealed to President Bola Tinubu and Governor Seyi Makinde to negotiate with kidnappers holding her and dozens of others captive instead of using force.
Mrs Folawe, the principal made the appeal in a video released from captivity and shared on Instagram on Friday by user #Temilolasobola.
In the emotional video, the visibly distressed principal said she and other abductees, including schoolchildren, had spent 13 days in the bush under harsh weather conditions following their abduction in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State.
“We are in the cold, we are under the sun, we are under the rain, the children and the adults as well. Please, we are begging you, don’t let them waste our lives,” she pleaded.
The principal specifically appealed to the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) and the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) to intervene in securing their release.
She warned against further military or security operations, claiming that a previous rescue attempt had worsened their situation and endangered lives.
“The force that they used yesterday has cost us so much. It has added to our problems. In fact, someone among us has been picked and they are going to kill him because government tried to help us by force,” she said.
“We don’t need force, all they have to do is to negotiate with them and release us. Please, just negotiate with them and dialogue with them,” she added.
The appeal comes nearly two weeks after heavily armed gunmen attacked three schools in the Ahoro-Esinele community on May 15, 2026.
The affected schools were Community High School, Ahoro-Esinele; Baptist Nursery and Primary School, Yamota; and L.A. Primary School, Alawusa.
During the attack, seven teachers and 39 students were abducted.
The incident also claimed lives, including that of mathematics teacher Michael Oyedokun, who was reportedly beheaded by the attackers.
A motorcyclist and a security operative also lost their lives during rescue attempts after running into improvised explosive devices allegedly planted by the abductors.
Sources familiar with the negotiations disclosed that the suspected terrorists later opened communication with the Oyo State Government but reportedly refused to negotiate directly with victims’ families.
According to the sources, the abductors insisted they would only engage with Governor Makinde.
Governor Makinde, while hosting Muslim faithful during the Eid-el-Kabir celebration in Ibadan, assured residents that efforts were ongoing to secure the safe return of the abducted children and teachers.
Similarly, the Inspector-General of Police, Tunji Disu, announced the deployment of additional detectives from the Force Headquarters in Abuja to support joint security operations in the state.
The Defence Headquarters also disclosed that troops had established contact with the abductors and were intensifying efforts to rescue the victims safely.
