A Catholic priest in Enugu state, Rev. Fr. Paul Ofu, has been shot dead.
He was reportedly killed on Thursday along Ihe-Agbudu road in Awgu local government area of the state.
The Catholic diocese of Enugu announced this via its official Facebook page, blaming the incident on suspected herdsmen.
It said: “With a deep sense of sorrow, the Catholic Diocese of Enugu announces the tragic death of Rev. Fr. Paul Offu who was shot dead this evening (1st August 2019) by some hoodlums suspected to be the notorious and murderous herdsmen, along Ihe-Agbudu Road in Awgu LGA.”
A former Commissioner for Information in The state, Mr Ogbuagu Anikwe, described the scene of the murder as a hotbed of terrorist activities in the state.
Writing also on his Facebook page, Anikwe said: “Sometimes, you get so confused about things you do not really know how to react. The Awgu sector of Enugu-Port Harcourt expressway, including the villages around the highway, is now a hotbed of terrorist activities.
Here in this picture is Rev. Father Paul Ofu, one-time parish priest of my home parish, mercilessly executed this (Thursday) evening.
He joins a growing list of our people who are daily being assaulted in the farms, and motorists being robbed and kidnapped between Awgu and Nkanu stretch of this highway. The herdsmen are implicated. In some other instances, it is home grown bandits.
In all cases, everyone is terrified but I guess a point has been reached when the people will rise up and defend themselves, defend their means of livelihood (their farms) and defend their dignity.
Rest in peace, man of God, Father Ofu. I have a picture of your bullet-riddled and dirtied body but I cannot further debase your memory and traumatise people by posting it here.
May your needless death not be in vain, but provide everyone the courage to act to restore peace to our beloved home. God will surely hear us as we cry unto Him.”
The priest was until his death the parish priest of St. James the Great parish, Ugbawka.
The sad incident comes less than a month after another priest was killed by yet-to-be-identified people in the state.
Ikechukwu Ilo was attacked and seriously injured by kidnappers who opened fire on him after he refused to stop his car.
It also comes months after Clement Ugwu, another priest, was killed by armed men while returning from a meeting in Ezeagu local government area.
