…Says Wfe Rejected Pressure To End hLHer Life
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Daud Olatunji
The husband of the Oyo State school principal who recently regained freedom after spending more than 50 days in captivity, Prof. Wole Alamu, has revealed that he blocked the kidnappers’ phone numbers during ransom negotiations after their repeated threats triggered severe health complications, including high blood pressure.
Alamu disclosed this during a thanksgiving service held to celebrate the release of his wife, Mrs. Rachael Alamu, principal of Ahoro Esinle School in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State.
He said the emotional trauma of engaging the abductors almost cost him his life, forcing him to sever communication with them after three weeks.
PLATFORM TIMES recalls that Mrs. Alamu was among teachers and pupils abducted by armed men from the school on May 15, 2026.
She and the other victims regained their freedom after spending more than 50 days in captivity following a security operation announced by the Federal Government.
Narrating his ordeal, the professor said every call or text message from the kidnappers left him emotionally shattered.
“When my wife was abducted, I communicated with the abductors for the first three weeks. Each time they threatened me, I became destabilised,” he said.
“I was at a hospital one day for a medical check-up when they sent me a message. Immediately, my blood pressure shot up and I could not continue with the examination.”
Realising the conversations were endangering his own life, Alamu said he made the difficult decision to block the kidnappers’ phone numbers.
“I told myself, ‘You cannot kill me here and kill her there. Choose one. If she dies, she will be with Christ, but you cannot kill both of us at the same time.’ That was the day I blocked them,” he said.
According to him, the kidnappers later confronted his wife in captivity after discovering they could no longer reach him.
“They told her, ‘Your husband has blocked us. We are going to kill you.’
“But my wife responded boldly, ‘You will not kill me in Jesus’ name.'”
Alamu further claimed the abductors left a cutlass beside his wife, allegedly expecting her to take her own life.
“When they returned, they began blaming one another for leaving the cutlass with her.
“My wife told them, ‘I will not kill myself and you too will not kill me.’ I thank God for giving her that courage.”
Describing the kidnapping as the greatest trial his family had ever faced, the professor said the incident disrupted their quiet life devoted to academics, work and Christian service.
“My wife’s abduction was an embarrassment to me,” he said, adding that before the incident, public information about him was largely limited to his academic career.
Despite the painful experience, Alamu commended security agencies for their prompt response after the abduction.
He said the General Officer Commanding the 2 Division of the Nigerian Army and the Oyo State Commissioner of Police arrived at the scene shortly after the incident, while military helicopters were deployed to search the forest.
“I got there and within 45 minutes, the GOC was already on ground. The Commissioner of Police arrived before me, and helicopters were already combing the forest. That could only have been God answering our prayers,” he said.
The professor also expressed appreciation to individuals, religious groups and organisations within and outside Nigeria for their support during the crisis.
He disclosed that he received calls from Nigerians in the United States, including California and Los Angeles, while some international non-governmental organisations offered assistance during the negotiations.
Alamu particularly acknowledged the support he received from both Christian and Muslim communities, noting that the first visitors to his home after the abduction were members of the Muslim community in Oyo State, followed by their counterparts at the Ladoke Akintola University of Technology.
Reflecting on the experience, he urged Christians to remain steadfast in their faith, saying difficult times often reveal the depth of one’s spiritual conviction.
Quoting Psalm 126, he said although the kidnapping remained the toughest challenge he had faced since becoming a Christian in 1990, the experience ultimately strengthened his faith.
“The Lord has done great things for us, and we are filled with joy,” he said.
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