By Samuel Omotere

Ibadan - Professor Wole Alamu, husband of Oyo school principal Mrs. Rachael Alamu, has revealed that he blocked the phone numbers of his wife's abductors during ransom negotiations after their repeated threats began taking a serious toll on his health.

Speaking during a thanksgiving service following his wife's release, Professor Alamu said the kidnappers' calls and messages left him emotionally exhausted and caused his blood pressure to rise to dangerous levels.

"I realized they could kill me with fear before anything happened to my wife," he said. "I decided to block them. They could not kill both of us."

Mrs. Alamu, principal of Ahoro Esinle School in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State, was abducted alongside teachers and pupils on May 15, 2026. The victims spent more than 50 days in captivity before they were rescued in an operation announced by the Federal Government.

Recounting the ordeal, the professor described the kidnapping as the greatest challenge his family had ever experienced, noting that they had lived a quiet life devoted to academics, work and Christian service before the incident.

He commended security agencies for their swift response, saying senior military and police officers mobilized shortly after the abduction, with helicopters deployed to search the surrounding forests.

Professor Alamu disclosed that he maintained direct contact with the kidnappers for about three weeks before ending communication because every threat they made left him physically shaken.

He said the abductors later confronted his wife after discovering they had been blocked, threatening to kill her. According to him, she remained resolute, declaring that they would neither kill her nor drive her to take her own life.

The professor also revealed that the crisis attracted support from individuals and organizations within and outside Nigeria, including Nigerians in the United States who reached out with offers of assistance.

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.

He also expressed appreciation to people of different faiths who stood by his family during the ordeal, noting that members of the Muslim community were among the first to visit and offer support.

Quoting Psalm 126, Professor Alamu said the family's sorrow had been turned into joy, describing his wife's safe return as a testimony of God's faithfulness.