PFN Condemns Abduction of Pupils, Teachers, Brutal Beheading of Michael Oyedokun

PFN Condemns Abduction of Pupils, Teachers, Brutal Beheading of Michael Oyedokun

The leadership of the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN) has condemned the abduction of pupils of Community High School, Ahoro-Esinele in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State and their teachers, as well as the hacking of Mr Michael Oyedokun’s head, one of the teachers held in captivity.

The Media Bureau of the Fellowship, in a statement made available to The Guardian, said PFN, through its National President, Bishop Francis Wale Oke, expressed disappointment at the Federal Government over the heart-wrenching acts of insurgency spreading across Nigeria, despite repeated promises to make the country safe, particularly for children.

The statement added that each new incident is an indictment on the government, especially as it exposes the failure of those assurances given.

PFN described the continued abduction of pupils across the country as most disgraceful. The body of Christ said no child should be forced to live in fear.

The statement said in part:

“Our foremost concern, therefore, remains the safety of the pupils, teachers and staff of Community High School, Ahoro-Esinele in Oyo State. Our hearts are bleeding, as we watched with horror the video released by the perpetrators, showing our brother; a devoted educator, bound, humiliated and 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.”

PFN extended its deepest condolences to Mr. Oyedokun’s family, the bereaved Community High School, and the people of Oriire Local Government Area, praying to God to strengthen them in this hour of unspeakable loss.

Describing the incident as a disgrace of the highest order, the National President said such an atrocity reflects deep national failure. According to him, “When armed gang storm rural schools, kill those who resist, and carry away pupils and educators with impunity, the social contract between the state and the citizen is shattered. We have past the time for promises, as actions that will sweep away insurgency are what we want.”

“The blood of Mr. Oyedokun cries out for justice, not platitudes. For years, PFN warned that insurgency, banditry and kidnapping.”, if left unchecked, would metastasise across Nigeria. Today, those warnings have come to pass: the same brutality once confined to the north has crossed the Niger.

He noted: “Federal and state governments should come together to fight this common enemy because ‘the era of compartmentalised security responses is over. A threat to a child in Ahoro Esinele 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 attacks and no child is safe. If those in authority cannot guarantee the most basic duty, that is to protect every citizen, then by what authority does it govern?”

The Bishop then demanded that immediate rescue operations should begin, while every available resources; intelligence, personnel and technology should be deployed to locate and rescue the abducted pupils, teachers and staff of the school, saying half measures are no longer acceptable.

He called for justice and not just condolences, stressing that all involved should be identified, apprehended and prosecuted.

Bishop Oke further urged government to implement a comprehensive security framework, including perimeter fencing, protocols and community intelligence networks, which the State House of Assembly had earlier advocated.

He called for a review of the nation’s security architecture with a view to organising an emergency National Security Council session with governors, security chiefs and civil society to overhaul Nigeria’s approach of keeping the nation’s schools and rural communities safe.

Oke said: “Let our pulpits thunder with the truth that God sees the blood of the innocent and will judge the oppressor. 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.’ Silence is the kidnapper’s greatest weapon. Speak out. Avail security operatives tangible information. Support initiatives that protect children and always hold leaders accountable.

“The PFN stands in solidarity with the families of the abducted, with the grieving community of Ahoro Esinele, and with all Nigerians who yearn for a nation where students can learn without fear and where the populace can live without fear. We mourn with those who mourn. We rage against injustice. And we commit to working, praying, and advocating until every child is safe, every teacher is protected, and every community is at peace. The blood of Michael Oyedokun is a stain on our national conscience. Let his death not be in vain. Let it be the catalyst for decisive action that Nigeria has delayed too long to taking.”