The family of Michael Oyedokun, the schoolteacher abducted and later beheaded by terrorists in Oyo State, has described his death as a devastating and irreplaceable loss, lamenting that he died without having a child after more than a decade of marriage.…....
SaharaReporters earlier reported that Oyedokun was among the teachers abducted by armed bandits during coordinated attacks on schools in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State.
The late teacher was seized alongside several colleagues from Community High School, Ahoro-Esiele, during the raid on Friday.
Other schools attacked by the gunmen included Baptist Nursery and Primary School, Yawota, and LA Primary School in Ogbomoso.
The attacks also claimed the lives of an assistant headmaster, Joel Adesiyan, and a commercial motorcyclist.
Following the attacks, the Oyo State Government ordered the closure of schools in four local government areas while security agencies intensified rescue operations.
A disturbing video allegedly released by the terrorists later surfaced online, showing Oyedokun tied up and forced to speak before he was killed, sparking outrage and fear over the fate of other victims still in captivity.
Speaking on behalf of the bereaved family during SaharaReporters’ visit to the deceased’s hometown, Ebeni Adediran said Oyedokun was a peaceful and humble man who dedicated over two decades of his life to teaching.
SaharaReporters observed that the deceased’s aged parents were still in deep mourning, wailing uncontrollably over the brutal killing of their son.
“The deceased was a calm person and he did not like violence,” Adediran said.
“He went to primary school, later attended Ogbomoso Baptist High School and furthered his education after secondary school. He was employed as a teacher for about 21 years.
“He first worked at Oke Ogun before he relocated. He was transferred back home last year. He was very accommodating and since he came back to our community, he always visited his parents at least once within 15 days or every weekend.”
According to him, Oyedokun’s death has created a huge vacuum within the family because of his character and close relationship with relatives.
“He was a good man in our family and this is why his death is a big loss to us, an irreplaceable loss. His death is painful. We can’t even describe his death,” he added.
The family member further revealed that one of the most heartbreaking aspects of the tragedy was that the slain teacher had no child despite being married for over 10 years.
