The husband of the Oyo State school principal, Mrs Rachael Alamu, who recently regained her freedom after spending more than 50 days in captivity, has revealed how constant threats from her abductors forced him to stop communicating with them.
The husband, Professor Wole Alamu, disclosed that he eventually blocked the kidnappers’ phone numbers after about three weeks of negotiations because their messages and threats were seriously affecting his health.
He said the situation left him emotionally distressed and physically unstable, resulting in an increase in his blood pressure.
Naija News reports that Alamu made the disclosure while giving a testimony during a thanksgiving service organised to celebrate his wife’s release.
Mrs Alamu, the principal of Ahoro Esinle School in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State, was among pupils and teachers abducted by gunmen on May 15, 2026.
The victims spent more than 50 days in captivity before they were released following a rescue operation announced by the Federal Government.
‘My Wife’s Abduction Was An Embarrassment’
Speaking during the thanksgiving service, Professor Alamu described the abduction as the greatest challenge his family had ever faced.
He said the incident disrupted what had previously been a quiet family life focused on academics, work and Christian service.
“I want to say to my family, we are a very quiet family. We just come to work for God and we go home. We do not make noise. I am very sure if you search my name on Google, before now, what you would mostly see was academics,” the Don said.
However, Alamu admitted that his wife’s abduction was a deeply embarrassing and painful experience for him.
“My wife’s abduction was an embarrassment to me,” he said.
Despite the trauma, Professor Alamu expressed appreciation to security agencies for their response after the abduction.
He said security personnel quickly mobilised to the area after the incident, with helicopters deployed to search the forest where the victims were believed to have been taken.
“They abducted my wife and other people. I got to Osiele.
“I would like to say that within 45 minutes, the General Officer Commanding of the 2nd Mechanised Division was already there. The Commissioner of Police was already there before me. Two helicopters were already combing the forest one hour before I got there.
“It can only be God, and it is an answered prayer from my pastor and every member of this association,” Mr Alamu said.
He urged Christians to remain steadfast in their faith, saying difficult situations often test and expose the strength of a person’s relationship with God.
“We are all needy people. We should always abide in the presence of the Lord,” he said.
Reflecting on the emotional impact of the incident, Professor Alamu said the experience humbled him despite his initial belief that he would be strong enough to cope with the situation.
Addressing men at the service, he said the ordeal showed that even those who consider themselves emotionally strong could become vulnerable in difficult circumstances.
“We the men, I know we are strong-hearted and stubborn. Big boys don’t cry. Big boys can become small boys.
“The night they abducted them, I went to meet Reverend and told him, ‘I will be strong.’
“I thought I was strong because that night was the longest night I ever lived,” the Professor said.
He said the experience also taught him the importance of living a righteous life before facing difficult situations.
“If you don’t live right and this challenge faces you, the devil will come and tell you, ‘See yourself now. The Bible says the devil is the accuser of the brethren. I saw it graphically,” Mr Alamu said.
‘I Decided To Block These People’
Professor Alamu said he communicated directly with the kidnappers for about three weeks after his wife’s abduction.
However, he said their repeated threats left him destabilised and eventually affected his health.
“When my wife was abducted, I was chatting with the abductors for the first three weeks.
“I was threatened and immediately they threatened me, I was always destabilised.
“There was a day I went for a medical check-up. They sent me a text message and I became destabilised. By the time I got to the clinic, I could not even do the check-up because my blood pressure had already increased,” the Professor noted.
He said he eventually decided to cut off communication with the kidnappers because he believed continuing the conversations could put his own life at risk.
Mr Alamu added, “That day I decided I would block these people.
“You cannot kill me here and kill her there. Choose one. If you want to take her, she is going to be with Christ.
“You cannot kill the two of us at the same time.”
According to Professor Alamu, the kidnappers later discovered that he had blocked their phone numbers and confronted his wife in captivity.
He said they threatened to kill her because her husband had stopped communicating with them.
“They went to her and said, ‘Madam, your husband has blocked us. We are going to kill you.’
“She replied, ‘You will not kill me in Jesus’ name.’”
The professor further alleged that the kidnappers left a cutlass beside his wife, apparently expecting her to take her own life.
He said his wife, however, refused to be intimidated.
“They left one cutlass beside the Madam Principal. When they came back, they were blaming one another, saying, ‘You left a cutlass beside the Madam Principal so she could kill herself.’
“My wife replied immediately, ‘I will not kill myself and you too will not kill me.’
“I thank God for that boldness. She spoke positively,” the Professor narrated.
Nigerians, Foreign Groups Offered Support
Professor Alamu said the family’s ordeal attracted support from individuals and organisations within and outside Nigeria.
He disclosed that he received calls from people in California and Los Angeles in the United States, while some international organisations also contacted him and offered assistance.
“I got some numbers calling me, especially from California and Los Angeles in the U.S.
“One of them sent me a proposal of about six pages. There were NGOs that God used to assist me. Some said they wanted to take over negotiations but later said they would have to deal directly with the government,” Mr Alamu said.
He also recalled how people from different religious backgrounds rallied around him and his family during the difficult period.
According to him, members of the Muslim community were among the first people to visit and support him.
“The first set of people that visited me were the Muslim community of Oyo State.
“The second set of people that visited me were the Muslim community in LAUTECH,” he said.
Reflecting on the ordeal, Professor Alamu urged Christians to take their faith seriously, saying difficult moments often reveal the true strength of a person’s relationship with God.
“If you want to be a Christian, please be a Christian.
“If you don’t want to be, it is better you go out so that when challenges come, you are on your own and people won’t be praying in vain,” he stressed.
Quoting from Psalm 126, the professor said the family’s period of sorrow had eventually been replaced with joy.
He described the kidnapping as the greatest trial he had faced since giving his life to Christ in 1990 but said the experience had strengthened his faith in God’s power.
“The Lord has done great things for us, and we are filled with joy,” he said.
