Beheading of teacher Oyedokun is Public Execution of National Conscience — Ejiofor

Nigerian human rights lawyer and lead counsel for the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Sir Ifeanyi Ejiofor, has described the gruesome murder of Mr. Michael Oyedokun, a school teacher at Community High School, Esiele, Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State, as “the public execution of national conscience.”

According to him, the murder of Mr. Oyedokun was not merely the death of a teacher, but a devastating reflection of the collapse of security, humanity, and governance in Nigeria.

In his Weekend Musings titled:
“HOW NIGERIA FAILED MR. MICHAEL OYEDOKUN: A NATION THAT ABANDONS ITS TEACHERS HAS BEGUN TO DIG ITS OWN GRAVE — THE BEHEADING OF AN EDUCATOR IN OYO STATE: A NATIONAL TRAGEDY AND A DAMNING INDICTMENT ON GOVERNMENTAL FAILURE,”

Ejiofor stated that the incident represents a terrifying symbol of how insecurity, governmental inertia, and institutional decay have eroded the moral foundations of the nation.

“Even more disturbing,” he said, “is the frightening possibility that, in the years ahead, some of these same terrorists may eventually be reintegrated into society under rehabilitation programmes, while the memory of the innocent educator they butchered fades into forgotten archives and abandoned headlines.”

Mr. Michael Oyedokun, a devoted Mathematics teacher at Community High School, Esiele, Oriire LGA of Oyo State, was reportedly abducted by bloodthirsty jihadist terrorists and subsequently beheaded in cold blood.

Ejiofor stressed that Mr. Oyedokun was not abducted from a battlefield, nor was he involved in criminality or political conflict.

“His only ‘crime’,” he noted, “was the noble and honourable decision to be present in school, at the appropriate time, carrying out his statutory responsibility of teaching, mentoring, and shaping the lives of innocent children entrusted to his care.”

“That singular act of service to humanity cost him his life.”

He further lamented that several innocent students were also abducted and, as of the time of his statement, remained in captivity, enduring unimaginable torment, psychological trauma, and dehumanising conditions, all in an attempt to pressure the government into paying ransom and granting concessions to terrorists operating with alarming audacity across the country.

“What greater tragedy can befall a nation,” he asked, “than when its schools become slaughter grounds, its classrooms become theatres of terror, and its educators become bargaining chips in the hands of murderous extremists?”

Ejiofor described teachers as more than salary earners, calling them nation-builders, custodians of civilisation, moulders of conscience, and silent architects of every profession known to mankind.

“Every Judge, Lawyer, Doctor, Professor, Engineer, Governor, and President once sat before a teacher,” “Yet, paradoxically, those upon whose shoulders society rests are treated with shocking contempt, miserable remuneration, and institutional abandonment.”he said.

According to him, there are moments in the life of a nation when silence becomes complicity, indifference assumes the colouration of wickedness, and the blood of the innocent cries louder than the speeches of politicians.

He stated that the gruesome murder of Mr. Michael Oyedokun is one of such dark and unforgettable moments in the tragic history of Nigeria.

The legal luminary maintained that the blood of Mr. Oyedokun cries out for justice and that the Nigerian government must ensure accountability for the heinous crime.

“I profoundly sympathise with the entire community of teachers across Nigeria, the immediate family of Mr. Michael Oyedokun, the traumatised students affected by this horrifying incident, and every innocent soul impacted by this barbaric act of terror,” he added.

Ejiofor called on the Federal Government of Nigeria, the Oyo State Government, all security agencies, and every institution charged with the preservation of law and order to take immediate and decisive action to ensure that the perpetrators of the atrocity are apprehended and prosecuted without delay.

He insisted that every individual connected to the conspiracy, no matter how highly placed, politically protected, or institutionally shielded, must be identified and brought to justice.

“A nation that fails to honour and protect its teachers,” he warned, “is merely preparing the funeral of its own civilisation.”

Ejiofor also recounted a touching personal experience involving his youngest daughter, Chiadikaobi, whom he affectionately described as “the youngest princess of the Ejiofor Dynasty.”

According to him, during routine family conversations about academics, school activities, relationships with teachers, and the broader values of life, Chiadikaobi, whom he described as remarkably outspoken and “intelligently unique in her own way” passionately narrated the exceptional relationship she enjoys with her teachers.

“She spoke glowingly about their devotion to duty, the ease with which they impart knowledge, their patience, discipline, and the noble manner in which they mould character and inspire excellence in young minds,”

“At the conclusion of such conversations, our little princess would usually present a long catalogue of her future aspirations and priorities ,the people she intends to care for and reward when she eventually becomes an adult. Unsurprisingly, at the very top of that list are her parents, followed by her siblings and, astonishingly, her teachers.” he said.

Ejiofor noted that Chiadikaobi holds teachers in profound reverence, seeing them as architects of greatness and custodians of destiny.

“She constantly speaks of her desire to one day reward them generously for their sacrifices and selfless service to humanity,” he added.

However, he lamented that they have deliberately shielded her from the painful reality that many teachers in Nigeria remain among the most neglected, impoverished, humiliated, and dehumanised citizens within the hierarchy of governmental priorities.

“Successive administrations, both at the Federal and State levels, have consistently abandoned the teaching profession to misery, indignity, and institutional neglect,” he said.
Ejiofor ended with prayers for the late educator.

“May the soul of Mr. Michael Oyedokun find eternal rest before his Creator, and may his noble service to humanity never go unrewarded, even in Heaven.”he added.