Zacchaeus said that after the kidnappers freed him and the other victims, they trekked for more than one hour and 30 minutes
By Abike Jimoh
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Published on July 18, 2026
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1 min read
Mr Olatunde Zacchaeus, a teacher who was among the victims of the Oriire school abduction in Oyo State, has stated that they were initially scared when they saw DSS officers sent to rescue them in the forest.
In an interview with Nigeria Info FM, Zacchaeus said that after the kidnappers freed him and the other victims, they trekked for more than one hour and 30 minutes before they met two men with two buses in the forest.
Zacchaeus said they all became frightened because the men were speaking Hausa. He said the men introduced themselves as DSS officers, but he did not believe them. He added that he became more suspicious after noticing the buses had no number plates, had tinted windows and carried Arabic inscriptions.
Zacchaeus said the DSS officers then phoned someone who convinced him and the other captives in Yoruba that the DSS officers were sent by the Federal Government to rescue them.
In Zacchaeus’ words: “What made us afraid and panic more is that they were speaking in the Hausa language. When we told them to show us the ID cards, they were just smiling. They said we should calm down, and it was the government that sent them.
“I told my principal that I was afraid because the buses had no number plates and they had tinted glasses. I went to the back of the bus and saw an Arabic inscription.”
