The family of Michael Olugbade Oyedokun, one of the two teachers killed after the mass abduction of pupils and staff in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State, has issued a public plea to President Bola Tinubu to help recover his remains for a dignified burial.

Oyedokun, a teacher and father, was among dozens of people seized when armed men stormed three schools in the agrarian Oriire axis, herding pupils, teachers and some residents into the bush. While many of the abducted victims were later rescued in a joint security operation, Oyedokun was executed in captivity, with his killers reportedly filming the gruesome act.

In an open letter to the President, the bereaved family expressed gratitude for the rescue of the surviving hostages but said their pain remains raw because his body has not been found.

They commended the Federal Government, the Nigerian Armed Forces, the Department of State Services, the Nigeria Police Force and other security and intelligence agencies for the operation that led to the release of the abducted pupils and teachers, saying the successful rescue had restored hope to many families.

However, they stressed that without Oyedokun’s remains, they are unable to perform the final rites required by their faith and customs, leaving their grief suspended and their mourning incomplete.

The family appealed to President Tinubu to direct security agencies to intensify search efforts in the forests and suspected hideouts used by the kidnappers, insisting that bringing his body home is essential to achieving closure.

They described the recovery of his remains as both a humanitarian duty and a moral test of the nation’s resolve to uphold the dignity of every citizen, even in death. According to them, ensuring that Oyedokun is laid to rest among his people would send a powerful message that victims of violent crime are not forgotten once the headlines fade.

The family’s plea has added a fresh emotional dimension to the wider national outrage over the rising wave of school abductions and rural kidnappings, underscoring the lingering trauma that communities endure long after rescue operations are declared successful.