Abduction Despicable, Condemnable, Says Bishop Aladekugbe

Warns Politicians Against Politicising Oriire School Attack

The Archbishop of Ibadan Province of the Anglican Communion, Williams Aladekugbe, has condemned the abduction of teachers, pupils and residents in parts of Oyo State, describing the act as barbaric, immoral and criminal.

Aladekugbe, who is also the Bishop of Ibadan North Diocese, said the attacks on schools in Oriire Local Government Area and the abduction of some residents around Idi Ayunre came to him as a rude shock.

In a statement personally signed on Wednesday, the cleric expressed sadness over the killing of innocent people during the attacks, particularly the gruesome murder of a Mathematics teacher abducted during the incident.

He sympathised with Seyi Makinde, the Oyo State Government and families of the victims, while calling for urgent collaboration among security agencies and governments at all levels to secure the release of those still in captivity.

“The abduction of innocent teachers and pupils in their schools cannot be justified by any standard. We condemn in strong terms the killing of one of the teachers. It is ungodly, immoral and criminal,” the bishop stated.

He further condemned attempts by some individuals and groups to politicise the incident or introduce religious sentiments into discussions surrounding governance in the state.

According to him, politicians should approach political issues with the fear of God, warning that everyone would one day account for their actions before God.

“We stand with Governor Seyi Makinde and condemn entirely the politics people are bringing into the incident as well as all forms of religious coloration in the governance of the state,” he said.

“Politics should be played with the fear of God in mind because we shall all stand before the judgment seat of God to account for our deeds.”

The cleric also urged the government to strengthen security architecture across the state and consider profiling foreigners residing in Oyo State to identify persons with questionable intentions.

“As we stated during our recent Synod, all foreigners in the state should be properly profiled, while anyone with dubious character or criminal intention should be returned to their states of origin or dealt with according to the laws of the land,” he said.

Aladekugbe stressed that insecurity should not be turned into a partisan issue, noting that criminality affects everyone regardless of political affiliation.

“Insecurity does not recognise political parties. The current incident is not the product of any political party,” he added.

He also commended the administration of Governor Makinde, describing it as people-oriented and impactful over the last seven years.

The bishop offered prayers for the safe return of those abducted and called on governments at all levels to invest more in security, insisting that there is no substitute for human lives.