One of the teachers abducted during a recent attack on schools in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State has been brutally murdered. Governor Seyi Makinde confirmed that a Mathematics teacher was killed by the terrorists, while a video has emerged showing the build-up to the disturbing development.
The abduction occurred after armed men on motorcycles attacked multiple schools in Oriire, including Baptist Nursery and Primary School, Yawota, and Community Grammar School, Esiele.
Teacher Beheaded by Bandits
Michael Oyedokun, a teacher at Community High School, Ahoro-Esiele in Oriire Local Government Area, has been killed. According to reports from Monday, May 18, by The Punch, Oyedokun's head was severed from his body in a new video allegedly released by bandits on Sunday, May 17.
The video circulating on Telegram appears to show the teacher after being restrained and forced to speak, before being killed. The footage has ignited renewed concerns about the safety of other remaining victims.
The terrorist attack in Oyo on Friday, May 15, has thrown communities in Oriire into mourning as residents, families of the victims, and natives continue to call on security agencies and the Oyo State government to intensify rescue operations to secure the release of those still in captivity before they are killed.
Security Lapses Persist in Oyo and Kwara
No group has officially claimed responsibility for the attack, which bears the hallmarks of outlawed groups such as insurgents and armed bandits. Oyo and neighbouring state Kwara have seen repeated attacks on communities despite ongoing military operations, raising concerns about security gaps in rural areas.
Mass kidnappings by armed groups have become a major security challenge in Nigeria in recent years, with schools often targeted, although such attacks are less frequent in the south than in the north.
Governor Makinde Confirms Killing
Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo has confirmed the killing of one of the teachers abducted alongside other victims, pledging that the government would continue efforts to rescue the remaining abductees. Makinde disclosed this on Sunday, May 17, after a security review meeting with his security advisers and service commanders over the abduction of seven teachers and an as-yet-unconfirmed number of pupils.
Confirming the development, the Oyo governor stated that one of the abducted teachers, believed to be a Mathematics teacher, was killed by the terrorists. Channels TV quoted Makinde saying: “What we know right now is that seven teachers were abducted. Unfortunately, we received a video this morning indicating that one of the teachers, understood to be the Mathematics teacher, was killed by the terrorists. Our prayers are with the family.”
Related Developments
In a related incident, Makinde described the killing of five National Park Service forest guard officers in Oloka village by some gunmen as devastating. In a statement, Governor Makinde revealed that preliminary investigations by security agencies indicated the attack was a cross-border operation carried out by bandits.
