In a startling revelation that contradicts official accounts, Zacchaeus Olatunde, one of the schoolteachers recently rescued in Oyo State, has disclosed that their abductors released them voluntarily before security forces arrived to escort them home.

Olatunde, who spent 56 grueling days in captivity alongside other teachers and pupils abducted from Oriire Local Government Area, shared his ordeal during a telephone interview with Nigeria Info FM on Friday.

According to the rescued teacher, the victims were kept in complete isolation and permanently blindfolded, leaving them entirely disoriented about their location.

"It is difficult to say everything on air," Olatunde recounted. "When we were there, we were blind—and not with an ordinary blindfold. We didn’t even know if we were still in Nigeria or another country. We were just there, thinking the government had forgotten us."

He noted that the kidnappers were multilingual, communicating fluently in Hausa, Nupe, English, and Yoruba. Crucially, they explicitly identified themselves as insurgents belonging to the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP).

"They said they are not Boko Haram; they insisted they are ISWAP," Olatunde stated, adding that he was both the last person captured at the school and the last to be set free.

56 Days Without a Bath

While describing the harsh conditions of their two-month captivity, Olatunde revealed that the terrorists maintained a strict but calculated regime.

"In terms of feeding, those people really tried for us, to be sincere," he admitted. "From the day we were abducted, they told us on the way that if we and the government cooperated, there would be no problem."

The captives were fed twice daily, strictly on a diet of rice, minimal beans, onions, margarine, and salt. "Throughout our 56-day stay there, we did not taste pepper. We also never bathed or washed our clothes," he added.

Banned from Mentioning `Jesus`

The terrorists also heavily policed the religious practices of their captives.

"When we first arrived, they strictly prohibited us from praying," Olatunde revealed. "After about a month, they allowed us to pray again, but with a stern warning: we must not mention the name of Jesus, and we must never pray aloud."

Despite the psychological warfare, Olatunde credited divine intervention and public prayers for their survival and ultimate release.

A Near-Fatal Release

The end of their captivity came unexpectedly when the insurgent commander approached them laughing, announced their freedom, and ordered them to untie their eyes.

However, Olatunde’s release almost took a horrific turn due to a broken handcuff key. Because the key had snapped earlier in their captivity, he was left behind as the other hostages departed.

"They told me I couldn`t go home with the handcuffs. One of the terrorists actually suggested they should cut off my hand to get it off," Olatunde revealed. "Thankfully, another one refused. They eventually managed to use a small piece of rope to manipulate and remove the cuffs."

The military and state security apparatus have yet to officially respond to Olatunde`s claims regarding the sequence of their rescue.