Oyo abductions: Reps decry math teacher’s death, seek state police

The Nigerian House of Representatives has urged the federal government to swiftly implement state police, citing a surge in insecurity and abductions. This call comes after the tragic killing of a mathematics teacher and the kidnapping of over 30 schoolchildren in Oyo State.

“

The House notes with a heavy and grieving heart the unrelenting siege upon the people of Ogbomoso and Orire Local Government Areas of Oyo State, a siege that began with the brazen attack on the Old Oyo National Park in January 2025 and reached its most harrowing depths on the morning of May 16, 2025, when armed bandits descended upon Baptist Nursery and Primary School (Yawota), Community Grammar School (Esiele), and LEA Primary School, dragging more than 30 children and their teachers into the forest.

Lawmaker Ayodeji Alao-Akala highlighted the persistent attacks in Ogbomosho and Orire Local Government Areas. He detailed the May 16 incident where armed bandits abducted students and teachers from three schools. The lawmaker expressed deep distress over the "barbaric execution" of teacher Michael Oyedokun while in captivity, an act he described as shocking the nation's conscience.

“

The House is deeply disturbed by the barbaric execution of Mr Michael Oyedokun, a mathematics teacher, who was beheaded in captivity by his abductors, a savage act that has shocked the conscience of our nation and demands an immediate and decisive response from every arm of government.

Alao-Akala noted the ongoing anguish of families whose loved ones remain captive, emphasizing the need for action beyond sympathy. While acknowledging the deployment of forest guards, he stressed that more decisive measures are required to prevent further loss of life. The legislator warned that the Old Oyo National Park and surrounding forests have become a sanctuary for criminals due to their terrain and strategic location, facilitating the movement of "killers" and allowing terror to spread into the South-West.

“

Every passing hour of their captivity is an hour of unbearable agony for families who do not know whether their loved ones are alive or dead.

The House has previously supported decentralizing security through state police, a recommendation Alao-Akala reiterated, stating, "We want to stop burying our children."

“

These measures must be expedited as we no longer want sympathy after the fact. We want to stop burying our children.