The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) has condemned the killing of an assistant headmaster who was said to have attempted to protect children during an attack, alongside other victims, during coordinated assaults on schools in Ahoro-Esinele and Yawota communities in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State.
CAN observed that the sacrifice made by the assistant headmaster must not be forgotten and called for those responsible to be identified, apprehended, and prosecuted.
In a statement issued on Monday by its President, Archbishop Daniel Okoh, CAN condemned the abduction of schoolchildren, teachers, and school officials during the coordinated attacks on schools, describing the incident as a national disgrace and a frightening sign of worsening insecurity.
Okoh decried the invasion of schools by armed criminals, describing the attacks as a direct assault on the nation’s conscience and evidence of a troubling collapse of security. He stressed that the abduction of children and educators in broad daylight, coupled with the reported killing of innocent citizens, underscored the growing threat posed by organised criminal groups.
According to him, “It is intolerable, disgraceful and utterly unacceptable that Nigerian children can no longer sit safely in classrooms without the fear of being kidnapped by armed gangs.”
CAN expressed concern that armed attackers allegedly stormed multiple schools, terrorised communities, and escaped with dozens of pupils and teachers, saying the incident was more than a routine security breach, but evidence that violent criminal activity is spreading into areas previously regarded as relatively secure.
The association lamented what it described as the “national humiliation” of seeing teachers and parents pleading for mercy while victims remained in captivity, stressing that no parent should ever have to watch helplessly as their child is dragged into the forest by gunmen, or a teacher should have to choose between educating children and risking abduction or death.
CAN stated that persistent kidnappings and the inability to dismantle criminal networks were gradually normalising terror across the country, lamenting that insecurity, once concentrated in parts of northern Nigeria, is now spreading dangerously into the South-West and other regions, threatening public confidence and national stability.
The association appealed to the Federal Government, security agencies, and the Oyo State Government to intensify efforts towards the immediate rescue of the abducted victims and called for the deployment of all available security and intelligence resources to secure the unconditional release of those abducted and ensure perpetrators face justice.
CAN also called for stronger protection for schools, particularly in rural communities, urging increased surveillance and security operations around forests and known criminal hideouts.
