Immanuel Baptist Church, Isale Afon, was packed to capacity this morning as a grieving community gathered for the funeral service of Deacon John Olaleye. The beloved Mathematics teacher was brutally murdered by terrorists while in captivity, marking the second casualty among educators seized during a recent mass abduction.

The solemn service drew a massive crowd, including devastated family members, church congregants, and residents from the teacher`s neighborhood. Colleagues and students from across the region also arrived in large numbers to pay their final respects to a man described as having spent his entire life in selfless service to God and humanity.

According to Mrs. Rachael Alamu, the Principal of Community High School, Ahoro-Esinele, Deacon Olaleye was killed by his captors on Sunday, June 7, 2026. The late educator was among seven teachers violently abducted by terrorists on May 15, 2026, alongside several of their students while performing their official academic duties.

Wails and visible emotion filled the sanctuary as the deceased’s eldest son, Daniel Olaleye, stepped up to the pulpit to read his father’s biography. The presentation detailed the life of the 46-year-old teacher, who was born on July 12, 1979, and educated at Ogbomoso Grammar School, Kwara State College of Education, and Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife.

THENEWSCREDIT reports that before his tragic deployment to Community High School in the Orire Local Government Area, Deacon Olaleye had previously impacted lives at Anglican Grammar School, Ogbomoso. In testimonies shared by attendees, he was fondly remembered as a peaceful, compassionate man who used local adages extensively to guide his students and peers through difficult life problems.

Delivering a highly emotional sermon, the presiding Church Pastor, Rev. Dr. D.A. Adewole, strictly admonished the widow, Mrs. Funke Olaleye, and her children to remain hopeful despite the severe trial. He urged the immediate family not to abandon their spiritual life or lose faith in divine justice, stating that the tragedy does not mean prayers go unanswered.

The clergy further noted that a beautiful and blissful future still awaits the grieving family despite the dark vacuum created by the sudden assassination. "Accept what has happened; righteous people often die while the wicked remain, but God never makes a mistake," the pastor stated as he consoled the weeping widow.

Among the notable dignitaries present at the memorial service was Honorable Olamijuwonlo Alao-Akala, representing the Ogbomoso North, South, and Orire Federal Constituency at the National Assembly. He was joined by executives of the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT), zonal directors of education, and state supervisors who united in prayer for fortitude to bear the monumental loss.