The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) has condemned the abduction of schoolchildren, teachers and school officials during coordinated attacks on schools in the Ahoro-Esinele and Yawota communities of Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State, describing the incident as a national disgrace and a frightening collapse of security.
CAN President, Archbishop Daniel Okoh, who signed the statement on behalf of the association, said the invasion of schools by armed criminals in broad daylight, the murder of innocent citizens and the forceful abduction of defenceless children represent a direct assault on the conscience of the nation.
“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,” the statement read.
The association expressed outrage that heavily armed attackers were able to storm multiple schools, terrorise communities, kill innocent people and disappear with dozens of pupils and teachers, stressing that the incident goes beyond a routine security lapse.
CAN mourned the reported killing of the assistant headmaster, who it said courageously tried to protect the children, as well as other innocent victims caught in the attack, calling for those responsible to be identified, apprehended and prosecuted without hesitation.
The association warned that the continued failure to decisively dismantle kidnapping networks and armed criminal groups was steadily normalising terror across the country, noting that what was once concentrated in parts of northern Nigeria was now spreading dangerously into the South-West and other regions.
“Nigerians are exhausted by condolences without consequences and promises without protection,” the statement declared.
CAN called on the Federal Government, security agencies and the Oyo State Government to move beyond routine statements and deploy every available security and intelligence resource to secure the unconditional release of the abducted victims and bring perpetrators to justice.
The association also demanded that safe school initiatives be urgently implemented beyond paper commitments, with rural communities, forest corridors and known criminal hideouts aggressively secured and reclaimed.
CAN said it stands in solidarity with affected families, churches, school communities and residents of Oriire Local Government Area, and called on the government to act decisively before more innocent lives are destroyed.
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