The five pupils and three teachers from The Apostolic Faith Group of Schools, Emure Ekiti, who were recently freed from the captivity of kidnappers, have been discharged from the Ekiti State University Teaching Hospital, Ado Ekiti. They had been undergoing medical treatment at the hospital.
Dr Oyebanji Filani, the state Commissioner for Health, who spoke while they were being discharged, said, “As a government having had them including the children released and having had them properly treated by various teams from management here in the teaching hospital, we would be returning them to their community.”
Recall that the pupils and teachers were abducted Monday January 29th from the school bus. The kidnappers killed the bus driver and kept the eight abductees in captivity. They regained their freedom on Sunday February 4th and were afterwards taken to the hospital for treatment.
Prof. Kayode Olabanji, Chief Medical Director, EKSUTH had assured the government while the eight persons were brought in last Sunday, that they would be given necessary medical attention before they would be discharged.
Olabanji had said, “They were in various conditions when they were brought in, some of them were so dehydrated, we don’t know when last they had taken water or even food. Many of the pupils were in a panic state, you could see that they were very terrified. However, immediately we brought them in, they had been attended to by the doctors, nurses and the various specialties.
“We brought in clinical psychologists who could work on them to allay their fears. They were given the initial resuscitations including rehydration, they were given fluids, some who needed oxygen were given oxygen.
“After they had stabilised a bit, they were even given food too, now, they are much better, we will still carry out few investigations to fully appraise their situation.”
The grandmother of three of the school children, Mrs Dorcas Ojo, said it would not have been possible for her to remain alive if the kidnappers had not released her three grandchildren.
The woman, who said the eight abducted persons were saved by God through the prayers of the people of Emure Ekiti and Eporo Ekiti, said, “The abductors made the children undergo what their parents had never experienced.
“They (children) were traumatised by the kidnappers as they were forced to trek long distance in the bush, not staying in one location and also not given food to eat for the days they were in captivity.”