Freed Oyo principal’s husband dances for joy in Sunday thanksgiving service

By Adejayan Gbenga

A church in Ogbomoso, Oyo State, was filled with songs of praise and celebration as Professor Alamu, husband of rescued school principal Rachael Alamu, danced joyfully during a thanksgiving service to celebrate her safe return from captivity.

A video that went viral on Sunday captured the emotional moment as the professor joined fellow worshippers in singing “Hallelujah” and dancing in gratitude for the successful rescue of his wife and other victims who had been abducted during the attack.

Alamu, the principal of Ahoro Esinle School in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State, was among the pupils and teachers abducted by gunmen during an attack on the school on May 15, 2026.

The abduction sparked widespread concern across the state, with parents, residents and other stakeholders calling for urgent action to secure the release of the victims and strengthen security around schools in the area.

However, after spending more than 50 days in captivity, the pupils and teachers regained their freedom on Friday following a coordinated rescue operation by security agencies, a development later confirmed by the Federal Government.

The Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, announced that all the abducted victims had been rescued, while Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde subsequently visited them at the Military Hospital in Ibadan, where they are receiving medical care and psychosocial support before reuniting with their families.

Meanwhile, government officials disclosed that the rescued pupils and teachers would be formally handed over to the Oyo State Government after medical evaluations, paving the way for their rehabilitation and eventual reunion with their relatives.

The thanksgiving service marked one of the first public celebrations by Alamu’s family since her release, with the video of Professor Alamu’s jubilant dance drawing emotional reactions from Nigerians, many of whom expressed gratitude over the victims’ safe return while families of the rescued pupils eagerly awaited their own reunions with their loved ones.