A teacher who survived the mass abduction of pupils and school staff in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State has addressed claims circulating online that the incident was staged.
Zachery Olatunde, who spent 56 days in captivity alongside 43 other victims, explained that the primary school pupils were wearing matching traditional outfits because they were kidnapped on a Friday the day schools in the area observe as traditional wear day.
His response followed social media speculation suggesting that the children’s coordinated ankara clothing was evidence that the kidnapping had been orchestrated.
Speaking in a video shared by Oyo Matters on Thursday, Olatunde dismissed the allegations as false and misleading. Speaking in Yoruba, he clarified that the pupils were simply wearing the same clothes they had on when armed men stormed their schools on Friday, May 15, and abducted them.