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• PFN demands emergency security council meeting
By Oluseye Ojo
Public outrage has intensified over the abduction of pupils and teachers in Oyo State, alongside the reported killing of a teacher, sparking widespread calls for urgent government intervention.
No fewer than 45 pupils, alongside their teachers, were abducted from schools in Oriire Local Government Area on Friday.
The affected schools include Baptist Nursery and Primary School, Yawota; Community Grammar School, Esiele; and L.A. Primary School, Ahoro-Esinele.
A viral video showing the beheading of one of the abducted teachers, Michael Oyedokun, has further heightened public anger and grief across the country.
The Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN) said the gruesome attack and abductions in three schools has exposed Nigeria’s worsening security failure.
The body over all pentecostal churches in the nation also made advocacy for an emergency meeting of the National Security Council to tackle escalating attacks on schools and rural communities across the country.
In a statement issued through its Media Bureau, the PFN President, Bishop Francis Wale Oke, said the horrifying incident had become a national symbol of the country’s insecurity and the inability of authorities to protect citizens.
The fellowship accused the Federal Government of failing Nigerians despite repeated assurances on security, particularly the safety of schoolchildren.
“Each new incident is an indictment on the Federal Government and it 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,” the statement stated.
The PFN said it watched with shock and outrage the viral video allegedly released by the attackers showing Oyedokun bound, humiliated and eventually beheaded.
“Our hearts are bleeding. 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, Bishop Oke stated.
The cleric described the killing as a national disgrace of the highest order, warning that the unchecked spread of insurgency, kidnapping and banditry now threatens every part of the country.
According to him, attacks once associated mainly with northern Nigeria had now spread across the Niger, making no community immune.
“The enemy has declared that no classroom is sacred, no teacher is immune from attacks and no child is safe.
“A threat to a child in Ahoro-Esinele is a threat to a child in Abeokuta, Enugu, Katsina and every community in Nigeria,” he noted.
The PFN lamented that armed gangs could invade schools, abduct pupils and teachers, kill those who resist and escape without consequences, saying such development had shattered public confidence in the Nigerian state.
“When armed gangs 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 are past the time for promises. We are tired of promises. Actions that will sweep away insurgency are what we want,” the statement added.
The fellowship demanded immediate rescue operations for the abducted pupils, teachers and school staff, insisting that security agencies must deploy all available intelligence, personnel and technology to secure their release.
It also called for the arrest and prosecution of all those connected with the attack, including sponsors, financiers and collaborators.
Beyond immediate intervention, PFN urged the Federal and State Governments to implement stronger security measures around schools, including perimeter fencing, intelligence gathering systems and community-based security networks.
The body also advocated psychosocial support, counselling and educational continuity for traumatised pupils, teachers, parents and affected communities.
As part of broader reforms, the PFN demanded an emergency National Security Council meeting involving governors, security chiefs and civil society groups to overhaul Nigeria’s approach to protecting schools and vulnerable rural communities.
The PFN further called on churches and Nigerians to intensify prayers while refusing to surrender to fear.
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“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 body expressed solidarity with the affected families and the Ahoro-Esinele community, insisting that the killing of Oyedokun must become a turning point in Nigeria’s battle against insecurity.
“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 in taking,” the PFN President declared.
The National Parent Teacher Association of Nigeria (NAPTAN) expressed worry over the rising cases of abduction in schools, urging governments to act fast to address the situation.
Chairman of Board of Trustees of NAPTAN, Mr Adeolu Ogunbanjo, said repeated attacks on schoolchildren and teachers across Nigerian communities called for deep concerns.
“Again, gunmen invaded schools. My heart is bleeding. It is sad that they target schoolchildren and teachers, kidnapping them in dozens.
“From Chibok in 2014, Dapchi in 2018, Kankara in 2020 and Jangebe in 2021, among others, the kidnapping has continued unabated.
“Now, they invaded schools in the Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State, abducting pupils and teachers in coordinated, terrifying attacks,” he noted.
He said all the tiers of government must join forces to secure schools and end the abduction.
“This unpleasant situation needs government action now. Schools must be secure to allow children to learn without fear, and restore public confidence in education safety, ” he said.
Ogunbanjo advised that arrested terrorists should not be released. According to him, releasing such people undermines justice and endangers communities as they may not be genuinely repentant.
“Releasing such individuals back into the society creates further risks, as some allegedly continue to provide intelligence to criminal groups,” he said.
Ogunbanjo urged governments to deploy armed security personnel to schools to improve safety.
Also reacting, Catalyst Alliance Network (CANG) said Nigeria must not normalise insecurity and the loss of innocent lives, describing the incident as heartbreaking and disturbing.
According to the group, the issue transcends politics, urging authorities to prioritise human safety and fulfil their responsibility of protecting citizens.
CANG called for decisive action against kidnapping, strengthened security operations, and justice for victims to prevent further suffering among affected families.
On social media, many Nigerians questioned the capacity of security forces, asking whether bandits had become more powerful than state institutions.
Social media critic VeryDarkMan said the country was facing a “very big problem,” noting that insecurity had worsened significantly.
He criticised the lack of protection for teachers, questioning how educators could feel safe returning to classrooms after such incidents.
Similarly, Chinonso Egemba expressed deep anguish, saying he was disturbed by the video of the teacher’s killing.
Egemba noted that dedicating one’s life to teaching should not end in such tragedy, stressing that the protection of lives remained the primary duty of any government.
He warned that if teachers were unsafe in classrooms, then no citizen could truly feel secure, adding that Nigerians must not normalise such violence.
Many citizens have continued to demand urgent reforms, stronger security measures, and immediate rescue of the remaining victims, insisting that silence and inaction are no longer acceptable.
