VIDEO: Rescued Oyo kidnap victims reunite with families

Emotional reunions unfolded as pupils and teachers, held captive for 56 days in Nigeria's Oyo State, were finally reunited with their families. Videos captured the tearful embraces and jubilation as parents welcomed their children home after weeks of agonizing uncertainty.

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I give thanks! My merciful God, I give thanks. I never knew my child, Testimony, would return to me alive. Ah! What am I that You love me so much?

Parents expressed overwhelming gratitude, with one mother tearfully thanking God, President Tinubu, Governor Seyi Makinde, and all who prayed for her child's safe return. "I never knew my child, Testimony, would return to me alive," she said, her voice filled with emotion.

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Our President Tinubu, Governor Seyi Makinde, the police, the army, may God be with them all, as well as the pastors and every single person who fasted and prayed for my Testimony who was lost in the forest. Lord, I thank you. I thank you so, so much.

The ordeal's severity was underscored by the school principal, Mrs. Rachael Alamu, who revealed that the abductors deliberately killed two teachers. "They killed them purposely because they thought it would force the hand of the government to provide them whatever they wanted," she explained. Despite the trauma, she added, "We have scars already, and we believe that God will heal us."

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There were times when we had hope that we would all come out alive. The terrorists killed Mr Michael, the first teacher, on the second day of our abduction, and Deacon, the second teacher, was killed on the first Sunday of June.

The successful rescue and subsequent reunions followed the victims' formal reception by Governor Seyi Makinde, bringing a measure of relief to the affected families.

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They killed them purposely because they thought it would force the hand of the government to provide them whatever they wanted. They already knew that the whole world was interested in our case.