OYO PUPILS AND TEACHERS IN FOCUS: Freedom Is Only the Beginning, Every Rescue Must Be Followed by Healing

Dr. Maymunah Yusuf Kadiri

July 15, 2026

The images of the Oyo school principal embracing freedom alongside her colleagues and pupils brought relief to millions of Nigerians. Across the country, families who had held their breath, whispered prayers, and lived through agonizing uncertainty could finally exhale. For that, we should all be grateful.

Every rescued life is worth celebrating, because every safe return is a victory.

As a Psychiatrist, I know there is another story that rarely makes the headlines.

“Captivity may end in a moment, trauma often does not.”

While the nation celebrates their return, many survivors are beginning an entirely different journey, one that is invisible to the eye but deeply felt in the mind, body, and heart.

The greatest misconception about trauma is believing that freedom immediately restores normal life. It doesn’t. The human brain and body are designed to survive danger, and after prolonged fear or captivity, they do not simply switch back to normal because the crisis has ended. Long after survivors regain their freedom, their nervous systems may continue to behave as though the danger still exists. Some may startle easily at sudden sounds, struggle to sleep, experience recurring nightmares, or avoid places that remind them of their ordeal. Some children may become unusually quiet, emotionally withdrawn, fearful, clingy, irritable, or easily startled. Adults may appear calm while silently battling anxiety, guilt, intrusive memories, emotional exhaustion, or a constant sense of alertness.

These reactions should never be mistaken for weakness. They are often normal responses to profoundly abnormal experiences.

Over the years at our center at Pinnacle Medical Services, I have had the privilege of walking alongside several survivors of kidnapping as they began the difficult journey from surviving to truly living again. While every person’s experience is unique, the emotional wounds are often strikingly similar. 

Many arrived unable to sleep peacefully. Some panicked whenever they heard unexpected noises. Others found themselves constantly scanning their surroundings for danger, unable to relax even in the safety of their own homes. Some struggled to return to work because concentration had become almost impossible. Others withdrew from family and friends, convinced that no one could understand what they had endured. A few carried the heavy burden of survivor’s guilt, asking themselves why they returned alive while others did not.

Yet, I have also witnessed something remarkable, I have seen survivors gradually reclaim their lives.

I have watched nightmares become less frequent. Anxiety slowly loosen its grip. Confidence return. Families reconnect. Marriages grow stronger. Parents begin laughing with their children again. Professionals rediscover purpose and return to meaningful work. Many who once believed they would never feel safe again eventually became advocates for resilience, mental health, and hope.

Those transformations did not happen because time alone healed them., they happened because healing was intentional.

Trauma-informed psychiatric care, psychotherapy, compassionate families, supportive workplaces, spiritual strength, healthy daily routines, adequate sleep, physical activity, meaningful relationships, and patient communities all worked together to restore not just their mental health, but their whole lives.

That is the essence of holistic living.

Health is far more than the absence of illness. It is the harmonious wellbeing of the mind, body, emotions, relationships, purpose, and spirit. Trauma disrupts every one of these dimensions, which is why recovery cannot stop at physical rescue. True healing begins when we care for the whole person, not merely the event they survived.

This responsibility belongs to all of us.

Families must create safe spaces where survivors can speak without fear of judgment or remain silent without pressure. Schools should understand that returning pupils may require patience before they regain concentration, confidence, and emotional security. 

Employers should recognise that adults recovering from traumatic experiences may need flexibility and understanding rather than unrealistic expectations. Communities should replace curiosity with compassion, resisting the urge to repeatedly ask survivors to relive painful experiences simply to satisfy public interest.

One of the most damaging phrases we say after traumatic events is, “Be strong,” or “Move on.” Although often well intentioned, these words can unintentionally silence pain and discourage people from seeking help. Strength is not pretending nothing happened. Strength is acknowledging the wound, accepting support, and allowing healing to take its course.

Across the world, psychological first aid is increasingly recognised as an essential component of emergency response because recovery is incomplete when people are only physically safe. Emotional healing is equally important. Early access to mental health professionals, trauma-informed care, supportive relationships, and compassionate communities can significantly improve long-term wellbeing while reducing the risk of persistent psychological distress, depression, post traumatic stress disorder among others.

The rescue of the Oyo school principal, her colleagues, and their pupils is undoubtedly a story of hope. It is also a reminder that our national response to crises should never end with liberation. It must continue with rehabilitation, psychological support, emotional restoration, and sustained community care.

Today, we celebrate their freedom, tomorrow, let us protect their healing. This is because surviving captivity is the first victory.

Rebuilding trust, restoring relationships, sleeping peacefully again, rediscovering purpose, and learning to embrace life without constant fear are the victories that truly define recovery.

As Nigerians, let us become the kind of society that does not only rejoice when people come home but also walk beside them until they genuinely feel safe again. Sometimes the greatest gift we can offer a survivor is not advice or curiosity, but compassion, patience, psychological support, and the reassurance that they do not have to heal alone. Only then can freedom become more than release, it can become restoration.

About Author

Maymunah Yusuf Kadiri

Dr. MAYMUNAH YUSUF KADIRI (aka DR. MAY) popularly referred to as “The Celebrity Shrink,” is a multiple award winning Mental Health Physician, Advocate & Coach. She is the convener of “The Mental Health Conference” and the Medical Director and Psychiatrist-In-Chief at Pinnacle Medical Services, Dr. Kadiri is a dynamic Consultant Neuro-Psychiatrist and a Fellow of the National Post Graduate Medical College of Nigeria (FMCPsych) with almost 20 years’ experience as a practicing Physician.