“She jubilated on Friday, not knowing he was dead” — Neighbours recount heartbreak of slain teacher Olaleye’s wife
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While the entire nation celebrated the news of the rescue of the abducted Oyo school pupils and teachers on Friday, July 10, 2026, the home of one of the victims was filled with a joy that would soon turn into devastating grief.
It has emerged that the wife of Deacon John Olaleye—the second teacher executed by bandits in the forest—spent the weekend celebrating and praising God for the “rescue” of the hostages, completely unaware that her young husband had already been murdered weeks earlier.
The tragic revelation of Deacon Olaleye’s death (affectionately known in his neighbourhood as “Daddy Daniel” was made public on Monday evening by the school’s principal, Mrs Rachael Alamu, who confirmed that the bandits executed two of the teachers to terrorise the government.
The false joy of Friday
Neighbors and residents of the Ogbomoso area, where the young educator lived with his family, have painted a painful picture of the moments surrounding the rescue announcement.
Speaking on the heartbreaking sequence of events, a neighbor, Omoye Kristyn Moses, revealed the raw pain of witnessing the widow’s short-lived relief:
“We live in the same area. It is only God that can console his wife; his children are still very young. She was even praising God on Friday when we heard they had been rescued, not knowing her husband had already been murdered by those wicked bandits. I cannot control my tears. It is so, so sad. I feel deeply for that woman.”
Another close neighbour, Olayiwola Abisola, expressed the shock of the sudden news after weeks of hoping and praying for his safe return:
“Haaaa, Jesus, Daddy Daniel… feeling heartbroken. This is so sad. We never knew you had been killed since, and we were still hoping you would come back home alive and safe. All of a sudden, we just heard of your death. This is too much for your loving wife to bear.”
Community in mourning: Social media reacts to the tragedy
As news of Deacon Olaleye’s death spread across social media, it triggered a wave of grief, anger, and deep reflection among Nigerians. The reactions highlighted three major pain points within the community:
- Devastation over young children left behind
Many mourners pointed out that Deacon Olaleye was a vibrant, young, and highly promising educator with a very bright future, leaving behind extremely young children who must now grow up without a father.
“A very young, vibrant, and promising teacher cut down in his prime,” wrote Muideen Yusuff.
“We were even dancing yesterday, thinking you had been freed, only to hear you are no more. May God give comfort to your family,” added Yousouph Alabi Moshood.
- Anger at “staged kidnap” sceptics
The tragic confirmation of the double murder also drew fierce backlash against social media skeptics who had previously claimed the abduction was politically staged.
“And some people said they staged this? May God rest the souls of our fallen heroes,” Adebayo Adewale reacted angrily.
- Questions Over Delayed Official Information
The revelation also sparked questions about why the public—and the family—were not informed of Deacon Olaleye’s death sooner, especially since the execution occurred during the early days of their 56-day captivity.
“But how come they never mentioned this?” questioned Tricia Efekomwan.
Other users pointed out that without the survivors speaking out directly or the bandits releasing footage (as they did with the late mathematics teacher, Michael Oyedokun), the public and the families were kept entirely in the dark.
Go to out Telegram page to see the video of the jubilation.
