Slain Oyo teacher died childless – Family

The family of Michael Oyedokun, the mathematics teacher brutally killed by bandits in Oyo State, has described his death as an irreplaceable loss, made more painful, they say, by the fact that he died without leaving a child behind despite more than ten years of marriage.

Oyedokun was among seven teachers kidnapped when heavily armed gunmen stormed Community High School, Ahoro-Esinele, in the Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State on Friday, May 15. The attack also targeted Baptist Nursery and Primary School, Yawota, and L.A. Primary School in Ogbomoso, all within Oriire LGA. An assistant headmaster, identified as Joel Adesiyan, and a commercial motorcyclist were killed during the assault.

Days after his abduction, a disturbing video allegedly released by the bandits on Sunday showed Oyedokun tied up and forced to speak before being killed. The footage circulated on Telegram.

Governor Seyi Makinde confirmed that seven students were abducted from Community Secondary School, while 18 children and seven teachers were kidnapped from First Baptist Primary and Nursery School. He stated that the state government was willing to listen to the grievances of the abductors if such dialogue would aid the swift and safe return of the remaining victims.

Speaking to newsmen, a family relative, Ebeni Adediran, said Oyedokun who had both parents still living was a peaceful and humble man who gave more than two decades of his life to teaching.

“He was a good man in our family and this is why his death is a big loss to us, an irreplaceable loss,” Adediran said. “The most painful part is that he did not leave any child behind. He had a wife but they did not have any child. They had been married for more than 10 years and despite all their efforts, no child came out of the marriage. And now the same man has died and there is no child to continue his lineage.”

Beyond their personal grief, the family has issued a public appeal for Nigerians to stop sharing the graphic footage of the killing, saying the repeated circulation of the video is compounding their trauma.

“The continuous circulation of those videos and images is deeply traumatising for us as a family,” the family said in a statement. “His loved ones, his nieces, nephews, cousins and relatives have been emotionally devastated, especially as these contents keep appearing on social media.”

Oyo State government spokesperson Suleimon Olanrewaju confirmed that Governor Makinde had expressed condolences to the victim’s family, and that the government was deploying both kinetic and non-kinetic strategies to secure the release of the remaining captives.

The incident prompted the Oyo State government to shut schools in four local government areas as security agencies intensified rescue operations.

The Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, described the abductions as heartbreaking and unacceptable, calling for intensified rescue operations and stronger security around schools and rural communities. He stressed that attacks on educational institutions represent a “direct assault on the future of the country.”

Oyedokun’s killing has intensified national outrage and renewed calls on the federal and state governments to urgently address the deepening security crisis threatening schools and communities across Nigeria.