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The Parish Priest of St. James the Greater Catholic Church, Ugbawka, in Enugu state, Rev FR Paul Offu, has been shot dead.
A statement by the Catholic Diocese of Enigu said the priest was shot by a group suspected to be Fulani herdsmen on Thursday evening. He was killed along Ihe-Agbudu Road in Awgu Local Government Area of the state.
The statement posted on the diocese’ Facebook page reads:
TRAGEDY STRIKES AGAIN IN ENUGU DIOCESE!!!
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 Fulani herdsmen, along Ihe-Agbudu Road in Awgu LGA.
Fr. Offu hailed from Okpatu in Udi LGA of Enugu State and until his death, was the parish priest of St. James the Greater Parish, Ugbawka.
May perpetual light shine upon his gentle and illustrious soul.”
The diocese in another post stated that Fr. offu’s “painful death is coming at the heels of a recent attack on Rev. Fr. Ikechukwu Ilo, along Nomeh axis of Nkanu East Local Government Area on Wednesday Jul 17th by suspected kidnappers who opened fire on him after he refused to obey their instruction to stop his car”.