The Christian Association of Nigeria has condemned the abduction of schoolchildren, teachers, and school officials in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State as a national disgrace, warning that terror had spread dangerously from northern Nigeria into the South-West and demanding immediate government action rather than another round of condolences.
CAN President Archbishop Daniel Okoh described the attack on schools in Ahoro-Esinele and Yawota communities as intolerable and utterly unacceptable, saying armed men invading schools in broad daylight and killing residents while abducting pupils and teachers without resistance pointed to a profound failure of state authority. He mourned the reported killing of an assistant headmaster who died while trying to protect children during the attack.
Okoh said Nigerians were exhausted by condolences without consequences and promises without protection, lamenting that the government had repeatedly made promises without delivering concrete action while kidnappers continued operating freely. He demanded that the federal government, Oyo State government, and security agencies immediately deploy all available resources to rescue the abducted victims and arrest those responsible.
CAN called for stronger protection of schools and rural communities, insisting that safe school initiatives had to move from paper to implementation, and expressed solidarity with affected families, churches, and residents of Oriire Local Government Area.
