Catholic Priest Kidnapped in Enugu Found Dead

About a week after he was reportedly kidnapped by unknown gunmen, the remains of  the Catholic Priest of St. Mark Catholic Church, Obinofia Ndiuno in Ezeagu Local Government Area of Enugu State, Reverend Fr. Clement Rapuluchukwu Ugwuwere found dead on Wednesday.

He was reportedly abducted on Wednesday March 13, 2019, at about 9p.m. in his parish.

It was gathered that the gunmen suspected to be kidnappers had shot him before they took him away in his blue coloured Prado Jeep in the pool of blood.

Speaking shortly after his remains were laid to rest at the Catholic cemetery at the Holy Ghost Cathedral, the Catholic Bishop of Enugu Diocese, Most Rev. Callistus Onaga, called on the police to fish out the killers of his priest.

Bishop Onaga decried the spate of violent killings around the country, advising that Christians should intensified their prayers for the survival of the country.

He regretted that security agencies could not rescue Fr. Ugwu despite their assurances that they were closing on the kidnappers, while the abductors were making withdrawals from his account through his Automated Teller Machine Card.

Bishop Onaga who spoke in a motion laden voice said "all is not well in Enugu State. We should not continue to pretend about it while our people are killed everyday. Enugu State is not secured again. Criminals have shifted to Enugu State from Anambra while we said that Enugu is most secured.

"When father Ugwu was kidnapped we reported it to the police and since then I have visited police station three times yet they kept telling me we are closing in on the kidnappers. I doubt they were doing anything because where the deceased body of Fr. Ugwu was found is not up to 20km from his house."

Also speaking, the Director of Communication, Enugu Catholic Diocese, Rev. Fr. Benjamin Achi, called on the government of Enugu State to live up to it's responsibility in protecting life and property.

He expressed worry that this is the first time a priest would be kidnapped inside the Church premises in the Diocese. Ends