Michael Oyedokun’s Blood “A Stain On National Conscience”, PFN President, Bishop Wale Oke Says
••••Condemns Oriire School Abduction, Killings
•By OYENIYI AWOJOODU
IBADAN — THE leadership of the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN) has strongly condemned the abduction of pupils and teachers of Community High School, Ahoro-Esinle, in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State, as well as the gruesome killing of one of the teachers, Mr. Michael Oyedokun.
In a statement issued through the Fellowship’s Media Bureau, PFN National President, Bishop Francis Wale Oke, described the incident as a national disgrace and a painful reflection of the worsening insecurity across Nigeria.
The cleric in a copy of the statement made available to DAILY INDEPENDENT on Tuesday expressed disappointment in the Federal Government over what he called the continued spread of insurgency, banditry, and kidnapping despite repeated assurances of safety and security for citizens, especially school children.
According to the statement, “Each new incident is an indictment on the Federal Government and exposes the failure of those assurances. Most disgraceful is the continued abduction of pupils across the country. No child should be forced to live in fear.”
Bishop Oke said the PFN watched with horror a video allegedly released by the abductors showing Mr. Oyedokun bound, humiliated, and eventually beheaded.
“This is not merely a heinous crime; it is a sacrilege against the sanctity of life, an assault on the teaching vocation, and a direct attack on the future of our nation,” he said.
The PFN President extended condolences to the family of the slain teacher, the Community High School, Ahoro-Esinle, and residents of Oriire Local Government Area.
“Our hearts are bleeding. May the God of all comfort strengthen them in this hour of unspeakable loss,” the statement added.
Bishop Oke lamented that armed gangs could invade rural schools, kill teachers, and abduct pupils and staff “with impunity,” warning that the development had shattered the social contract between the government and citizens.
“We are past the time for promises. We are tired of promises. Actions that will sweep away insurgency are what Nigerians want,” he stated.
Describing the late teacher’s death as symbolic of the nation’s security failure, the cleric declared that “the blood of Michael Oyedokun cries out for justice, not platitudes.”
He noted that the PFN had repeatedly warned that insecurity in northern Nigeria would spread nationwide if not decisively tackled.
“Today, those warnings have come to pass. The same brutality once confined to the North has crossed the Niger,” he said.
The PFN President called on both the Federal and State Governments to urgently overhaul Nigeria’s security architecture, stressing that no part of the country was immune from attacks anymore.
“A threat to a child in Ahoro-Esinle is a threat to a child in Abeokuta, Enugu, Katsina, and every community in Nigeria. The enemy has declared that no classroom is sacred, no teacher is immune from attack, and no child is safe,” he said.
He demanded immediate rescue operations for the abducted pupils and teachers, urging security agencies to deploy all available intelligence, personnel, and technology to secure their freedom.
“Half measures are no longer acceptable,” Bishop Oke stressed.
The cleric also demanded the identification, arrest, and prosecution of all those connected with the attack, including financiers and collaborators.
In addition, he urged government authorities to implement comprehensive school protection measures, including perimeter fencing, improved security protocols, and strengthened community intelligence networks.
The PFN further advocated psychosocial support, counselling, and educational assistance for affected pupils, teachers, parents, and members of the community.
Bishop Oke also called for an emergency National Security Council meeting involving governors, security chiefs, and civil society groups to develop a more effective strategy for protecting schools and rural communities.
He urged Christians and Nigerians at large to engage in fervent prayers and remain resolute against fear.
“One of the purposes of these satanic elements is to strike fear into the hearts of Nigerians. Please do not give in to fear. Do not grow weary. Do not accept the narrative that this is just the way things are,” he said.
The PFN reaffirmed its solidarity with the affected families and the people of Ahoro-Esinle, pledging continued advocacy for the protection of children, teachers, and vulnerable communities across the country.
“The blood of Michael Oyedokun is a stain on our national conscience. Let his death not be in vain. Let it become the catalyst for the decisive action Nigeria has delayed for too long,” the statement concluded.