More details have emerged about the ordeal endured by more than 40 schoolchildren and their teachers who were abducted in Nigeria’s Oyo State, with survivors recounting weeks of abuse, hunger and constant movement through remote forest areas before they were rescued.

The victims were freed last week after spending 56 days in captivity following their abduction from three schools in southwestern Nigeria.

The attack, which authorities attributed to suspected jihadist militants, shocked many because large-scale kidnappings have traditionally been concentrated in the country’s northern regions.

Speaking after the rescued children and teachers were formally handed over to the Oyo State government on Monday, one of the school principals, Rachael Alamu, described the harsh conditions they faced while in the hands of their captors.

“Some of the children were beaten,” Alamu said.

She recalled that the youngest pupils suffered severe abuse, saying their captors tied pieces of cloth over their mouths before assaulting them.

According to Alamu, the male staff members were subjected to even harsher treatment. “The men had it worse, more than us. They were blindfolded, handcuffed and chained” around their legs, she said.

She explained that the captors frequently moved the hostages from one location to another to avoid being detected by security forces.

“We had to move from one point to another, that was the major problem we had. When the place is discovered, we had to move through the forest, often walking for as long as four hours at a time,”she added.

The rescue operation, carried out by the military in collaboration with intelligence agencies, police officers and local vigilante groups, ended the nearly two-month hostage crisis.

The military described the mission as carefully planned and executed.

The operation, however, came at a heavy cost. Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde confirmed that five members of the security team, including vigilantes, lost their lives during the mission.

Two male teachers also died, with one killed during the initial attack and another while in captivity.

President Bola Tinubu blamed the kidnapping on Ansaru, a faction linked to Boko Haram that has previously operated in central Nigeria but is now believed to have expanded into parts of the southwest.

The attack has heightened concerns over the spread of militant violence beyond its traditional strongholds, raising fresh questions about security in regions that had largely been spared such incidents.

Authorities say efforts to dismantle the armed groups responsible will continue as survivors begin recovering from their traumatic experience.