Fear and grief have enveloped residents of Ahoro-Esinle in Oriire Local Council of Oyo State following the reported killing of one of the abducted teachers of Community High School, Michael Oyedokun, by suspected bandits.

Condemnations have continued to trail the Oyo school abductions. Among the early callers is Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA), which condemned the abduction of pupils, teachers and school administrators across Nigeria.

The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), former presidential candidate, Dr Gbenga Hashim, followed with the condemnation of the abduction of pupils from Mussa Primary and Junior Secondary School in Askira-Uba Local Council of Borno State, as well as the recent coordinated attacks on schools in Oriire, describing the incidents as “a brutal assault on Nigeria’s future.”

Academic activities were disrupted in parts of Oriire yesterday, as many students stayed away from schools following the abduction of teachers and pupils by bandits.

President Bola Tinubu also condemned the reported killing of one of the teachers, describing the act as barbaric.

Oyedokun was among those abducted during last Friday’s attack on schools in the community. He was reportedly beheaded in a disturbing video allegedly released by the abductors yesterday, a development that heightened tension across the affected communities.

In the viral footage circulating on social media, the victim was seen with his hands tied while he was allegedly forced to speak before he was gruesomely killed by the assailants.

The video has since triggered outrage among residents, parents, civil society groups and religious leaders, many of whom called on security agencies to intensify efforts to secure the release of other victims still being held captive.
HURIWA said the government that could not protect schoolchildren in classrooms “has fundamentally failed” in its constitutional duty.

According to the rights group, when the state loses the ability to secure schools, it has effectively surrendered one of its most sacred responsibilities and must confront the reality that it is operating without moral legitimacy.

It warned that Nigeria is dangerously sliding into a state of normalised emergency where mass abductions of students are becoming routine headlines, while official responses remain repetitive, defensive and disconnected from reality.

“The so-called school security interventions have clearly collapsed under the weight of implementation failure, corruption suspicion and lack of measurable outcomes.

“We demand, without equivocation, that the Federal Government and all affected state governments immediately come clean before Nigerians. They must provide a detailed, public accounting of all funds, grants, and donor-supported interventions expended on school safety initiatives over the years. Nigerians cannot continue to witness mass abductions while billions allegedly allocated for protection vanish into opaque bureaucratic channels with no visible impact on ground security.”

CAN, on its part, said the invasion of schools by armed criminals in broad daylight, the murder of innocent citizens, and the forceful abduction of defenceless children represent a horrifying collapse of security and a direct assault on the conscience of the nation.

In a statement yesterday in Abuja, CAN President, Archbishop Daniel Okoh, noted that it was intolerable, disgraceful and utterly unacceptable that Nigerian children could no longer sit safely in classrooms without the fear of being kidnapped by armed gangs.

Okoh noted CAN’s outrage that heavily armed attackers were able to storm multiple schools, terrorise communities, kill innocent people and disappear with dozens of pupils and teachers.

He said, “This is not merely another security incident. It is a national disgrace and a frightening reminder that organised criminal violence is spreading into parts of the country once considered relatively secure. We mourn the reported killing of the assistant headmaster who courageously tried to protect the children, as well as other innocent victims caught in this horrific attack. Their sacrifice must never be forgotten, and those responsible must be identified, apprehended and prosecuted without hesitation.”

SIMILARLY, the Oyo chapter of the African Action Congress (AAC) expressed concern about residents’ safety, alleging that Governor Seyi Makinde prioritises politics over the security and welfare of the people.

In a statement, the Oyo AAC Chairman, Kayode David, decried the growing rate of insecurity and kidnappings in the state, saying the situation had reached an alarming level.

According to the party, farmers are now afraid to go to their farms, traders fear being kidnapped while travelling, students are no longer safe, and parents live in constant fear over the safety of their children.

In a strongly worded reaction, Hashim said the targeting of schoolchildren marked a dangerous escalation in terror tactics and a direct attack on education, stability and national hope.

“Schools must never become theatres of fear,” he stated, warning that repeated attacks on learning institutions could entrench insecurity across generations.

He extended condolences to affected families and urged the Federal Government and security agencies to act swiftly and decisively, insisting that the safe and immediate rescue of the children must be treated as a national priority.

The former presidential candidate said the incidents exposed persistent weaknesses in Nigeria’s rural security framework, where insurgent groups continue to exploit ungoverned spaces, poverty and limited state presence.

Referencing the recent elimination of an ISIS commander through joint Nigerian-United States operations, Hashim acknowledged the importance of military gains but cautioned against overreliance on isolated successes.

“This tragedy is a stark reminder that tactical victories alone cannot secure the nation,” he said.

Hashim called for a comprehensive national security doctrine that combines sustained military pressure with intelligence coordination, border control, expansion of rural security and targeted socio-economic interventions.

THE pupils deserted the schools as teachers in the affected communities staged a peaceful protest, demanding the immediate rescue of their abducted colleagues and students.

The teachers called on the Oyo government and security agencies to intensify efforts towards securing the release of the victims.

A visit to some schools in the area yesterday morningfound deserted classrooms and low attendance from both students and teachers, as fear continued to grip residents.

The protesting teachers, who marched through parts of the community carrying placards with different inscriptions, sang solidarity songs and appealed to government authorities not to relent in efforts to rescue the victims.

Tinubu also assured that security agencies were intensifying efforts to rescue the remaining victims and apprehend those behind the attack.

In a statement yesterday by his Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, Tinubu sympathised with Makinde, the state government and families of the victims over the incident.

He said the Federal Government was working closely with the state government to ensure the safe return of the victims’ persons.