Tears as community buries teacher killed in school attack in Ogbomosho

Family members, colleagues, friends and sympathisers gathered in Ogbomoso, Oyo State, on Friday to bid farewell to Joel Adesiyan, one of the teachers killed during last week’s deadly attack on schools in the state.

The funeral service for the late educator was held at Ayegun Baptist Church, where mourners filled the church in an emotional ceremony marked by tears, prayers and tributes to the deceased teacher.

Photographs from the burial ceremony showed grieving relatives and sympathisers consoling members of Adesiyan’s family as his remains were brought into the church for final rites.

Adesiyan, who served as an assistant headmaster at Community High School, Ahoro-Esiele, was among the victims of a violent attack carried out by armed men on April 15 along the Ahoro-Esiele/Yawota axis in Oriire Local Government Area.

According to reports, gunmen riding motorcycles stormed the communities and abducted dozens of students and seven teachers from Community High School, Ahoro-Esiele, L.A. Primary School, Esiele, and Yawota Baptist Nursery and Primary School.

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During the attack, Adesiyan and a commercial motorcyclist were shot dead by the assailants, while several others were taken away.

Governor Seyi Makinde had earlier confirmed that seven teachers were abducted during the raid. Another teacher, identified as Michael Oyedokun, was later reported killed while in captivity.

Public outrage intensified earlier this week after a disturbing video circulated online allegedly showing Oyedokun tied to a tree before being killed by the attackers. The incident triggered widespread condemnation and renewed concerns over insecurity and the safety of the remaining abducted victims.

Amid growing anxiety, reports emerged on Thursday claiming that the kidnapped teachers and students had regained freedom. However, both the Oyo State Government and the Nigeria Police Force dismissed the reports, insisting that the claims were false and misleading.

The tragic incident has continued to spark calls for stronger security around schools and rural communities, with residents urging authorities to intensify rescue efforts and improve protection for teachers and students in vulnerable areas.