Olatunde Zacheus, a survivor of the Orire school kidnapping who was interviewed by Vanguard on July 19, 2026, claimed that the kidnappers called themselves ISWAP, rather than Boko Haram or bandits.
According to Zacheus, who was held captive for 56 days, the group’s leader made the announcement just before they were let free. Watch D Video Here ➤
It was miraculous. It was people’s prayer and God’s help. Let me put it that way. After spending so many days, they came to us. When we got there, they told us that we should not pray.
But after a month, they told us that we could pray. However, we should not call the name of Jesus out. When it got to an extent, they told us to pray. We were praying inside until the last day when their commander came and they were smiling.
They said we should thank God that we had been freed. They told us to open our eyes. We, the two men who came out alive, were blindfolded. We were handcuffed. Our legs were chained.
That day, they removed the clothes from our eyes, removed the chains and handcuffs. They said they were not Boko Haram and not bandits. They referred to themselves as ISWAP.
The kidnappers, he said, were not Yoruba but spoke Hausa, English, and Yoruba nonetheless.
