Former Big Brother Naija housemate Adekunle Olopade has defended his controversial comments about the recently rescued Oriire schoolchildren and teachers, insisting he was not dismissing their ordeal but questioning how they appeared so cheerful shortly after spending 56 days in captivity.
In a post on X, Adekunle said many people misunderstood his earlier remarks and responded with insults instead of addressing the point he was making.
According to him, his perspective is shaped by a traumatic experience in November 2025, when he alleged he was kidnapped by police officers.
“I said I was kidnapped. If you’ve never been KIDNAPPED, or had a gun cocked at you before, you wouldn’t understand my reference point,” he wrote.
Adekunle explained that he was allegedly handcuffed and taken away in an unlicensed vehicle to an unknown location, leaving no one aware of his whereabouts. He described the incident as a life-changing experience that continues to affect him.
He acknowledged that trauma affects people differently, noting that some cry, others become numb, while some may even smile. However, he questioned the timing of the public appearance by the rescued victims.
“When I see people who spent 56 days in a forest smiling and sending thank-you messages within hours of release, I am allowed to ask questions. If one night facing death did that to me, what would 56 days have done to the teachers and these kids?” he wrote.
Adekunle also rejected claims that he was suggesting the kidnapping was staged.
“People deflecting by saying I am insinuating the unfortunate incident was staged are unserious. No – I am not saying the kidnap didn’t happen. I like to believe a lot of you can read. So let’s stay on topic.”
Reflecting on the harsh conditions the victims reportedly endured, he questioned whether anyone could easily smile after witnessing violence, sleeping in the forest for weeks, and living under constant fear.
“If you have watched someone get killed in front of you, been denied your basic human rights, slept in the bush – with insects, wild animals, in this rain, prone to illness and diseases of all kinds – under the harshest conditions, your basic decency and humanity taken away from you and only God knows what else they would have witnessed and endured for 56 DAYS – if it was you – would you still have the capacity to smile?”
