“Today, God Has Taken Away My Weeks Of Pain” – Prof Alamu, Abducted Oyo Principal’s Husband

By Adesina Soyooye

Nobody can forget that heartbreaking video. There, Professor Wale Alamu, a University Dean, was, weeping on the shoulders of Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde.

Governor Makinde had gone to the community of the kidnapped Oyo Teachers and pupils to console them, to share in their pains, and to reassure them that all will be well. While the Governor was speaking to them, Professor Alamu thought about the pain and agony of his wife, Rachel, the Principal of one of the schools, abducted along with 46 others, six teachers and 39 students and pupils included. He lost it.

First the Professor knelt down before the Governor. Taken aback, Makinde held him up. Then he held the Governor in a tight embrace and wept on his shoulders.

What pained him most was that his wife had become the face of the horrific incident. She became the spokesperson. She was the one their vicious abductors picked to relay their fate to the world. And he wept some more.

But on Friday, the tears were gone. They turned to joy. On hearing that his wife and others have been rescued, he told Vanguard Newspapers in an interview: “For the past eight weeks, I have been living through immense pain. Today, God has taken away that pain.

The academic, while expressing his appreciation to all those who helped to secure the freedom of the victims,  noted that it was a collective effort which cut across religious and social divides.

He told Vanguard: “I want to thank everyone who contributed to bringing an end to my suffering. I am grateful to the Presidency; the State Governor; the State Executive Council, Nigerians  as a whole, Muslims, Christians, and even traditional worshippers.

Everyone played a part, and I sincerely appreciate every contribution no matter how small towards securing the release of our people.

“I believe everyone has learnt one lesson or another from this incident. Once a thorough review has been carried out, the Government will identify the areas that need attention and take the necessary steps to ensure that such an unfortunate incident does not happen again.”

The victims were kidnapped on May 15, 2026, and rescued on July 10, 2026.