Abuja (Agenzia Fides) - Suspected killers of Fr. Cyriacus
Onunkwo, Nigerian priest kidnapped and killed on September
1 in Orlu, the second city of the State of Imo, in south-east
Nigeria (see Fides 4/9/2017), have been arrested.
The police have arrested a gang of six persons, led by an
ex-police corporal, Jude Madu. According to the confession,
Fr. Onunkwo was kidnapped with the view to extort ransom
money from his family and the Church. But the priest died
out of suffocation because his mouth and nose were
cellotaped by the criminals.
According to the police, the priest was abducted on
September 1, by unknown gunmen.The clergy’s corpse was
discovered in a bush in Omuma Village, on September 2 .
The catholic priest who is from Osina was traveling home to
arrange for father’s funeral, who died on August 28. There
are speculations that he may have been strangled as his
body had no gunshot nor stab wounds when he was found.
Now, according to what the kidnappers reported, the
hypothesis of accidental death emerged.
In recent years, kidnappings of priests and religious have
increased in Nigeria, especially in the southern states. Most
of them are released after a few days. No one has received
news of Fr. Gabriel Oyaka, a Nigerian Spiritan father
(Congregation of the Holy Spirit), abducted on September 7,
2015 in the state of Kogi (see Fides 10/9/2015).
The Bishops' Conference of Nigeria has forbidden payment
of any ransom in the case of the kidnapping of priests and
religious men and women. (L.M.) (Agenzia Fides,
12/9/2017).
www.fides.org/en/news/62896-AFRICA_NIGERIA_The_killers_of_Fr_Onunkwo_Nigerian_priest_kidnapped_and_killed_on_September_1_have_been_arrested