Zacchaeus Olatunde, one of the teachers abducted alongside schoolchildren in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State, has said the victims were released by their captors before any security operatives arrived, contradicting official claims that they were rescued.

The schoolchildren and their teachers were abducted on May 15 and regained their freedom on June 10 after spending 56 days in captivity.

Following their release, presidential spokesperson Bayo Onanuga announced that security agencies carried out a rescue operation during which eight kidnappers were arrested and others were killed. He also stated that no ransom or prisoner exchange was involved and that a key figure demanded by the abductors remains on trial.

However, speaking in a telephone interview with Nigeria Info FM aired on Friday, Mr Olatunde gave a different account of how the victims regained their freedom.

According to him, the abductors informed them that they had been freed and instructed them to remove their blindfolds.

"We were blindfolded the entire time. We did not know where we were or whether we were still in Nigeria. We felt forgotten," he said. "On the last day, their commander came smiling and told us to thank God because we had been freed. Then they asked us to open our eyes."

Mr Olatunde said he was the last person to leave the camp and was personally directed out of the forest by the abductors' commander.

He explained that his handcuffs could not be unlocked because the key had broken. While one of the abductors reportedly suggested cutting off his hand, another opposed the idea, and they eventually removed the handcuffs using a rope.

 "Their commander called me back and pointed a gun at me. I thought I was going to die because I was the only one left. He asked where I was going, and when I told him I didn't know, he showed me the route the others had taken and told me to follow it," he said.

Mr Olatunde also described conditions during their captivity. He said the victims were initially prohibited from praying and were later permitted to do so only under strict conditions.

"After about a month, they allowed us to pray, but they warned us not to mention the name of Jesus or pray aloud," he said.

He added that the abductors fed them twice daily, in the morning and evening.

The teacher's account raises questions about the circumstances surrounding the release of the 46 abducted victims and differs from the Federal Government's position that they were rescued by security forces.

In the aftermath of the incident, Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde called for an independent investigation into the abduction and the events that led to the victims' release.

Addressing journalists shortly after the victims regained their freedom, Mr Makinde urged international bodies, including the United Nations, to examine the incident and identify any security lapses.

"The circumstances surrounding this incident are sufficiently grey and unusual to warrant independent scrutiny beyond our domestic institutions," the governor said.

He added that international human rights and accountability mechanisms should establish the facts surrounding the abduction and recommend measures to prevent similar incidents in the future.