A wave of intense outrage and grief is sweeping through the South-West following the brutal murder of Michael Oyedokun, a schoolteacher who was abducted alongside his colleagues in the Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State. The tragedy escalated rapidly after the terrorists responsible for the mass school raid allegedly released a horrific video showing the beheading of the educator.
The crisis began when heavily armed bandits riding motorcycles launched a coordinated assault on multiple educational facilities along the Ahoro-Esiele/Yawota axis in Ogbomoso, including Community High School, Ahoro-Esiele, L.A. Basic School, and First Baptist Church Nursery and Primary School. During the attack, the assailants rounded up staff and students before retreating into the dense forest axis bordering the Old Oyo National Park.
Providing an urgent security update on the situation, Governor Seyi Makinde confirmed the abduction of seven teachers and expressed deep condolences to the family of the slain teacher, identified as a Mathematics instructor. He revealed that security forces encountered fierce, deadly resistance during early search-and-rescue operations. Advanced tactical teams—comprising the military, Nigeria Police, Amotekun Corps, and local hunters—ran into Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) planted by the terrorists, leaving several Amotekun operatives and soldiers wounded.
Governor Makinde attributed the sudden spike in violence to intense military pressure in northern regions, warning that displaced bandit groups are increasingly fleeing southward into neighboring border states. Striking a note of resilience, the governor stated that six local collaborators suspected of serving as informants and logistics handlers have been arrested. He vowed that the state would employ both kinetic and non-kinetic strategies to neutralize the threat and secure the safe return of the remaining hostages.
