Killing Of Catholic Priest: I’m ‘Deeply Shocked, Dismayed’ – Buhari

President Muhammadu Buhari has said he is deeply shocked at the killing of another Catholic priest, Paul Offu, in Enugu State.

Reverend Father Offu was said to have been allegedly shot dead by suspected herdsmen on Thursday.

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He was the Priest in charge of St. James Greater Parish Catholic Church, Ugbawka, Enugu State.

The cleric’s death sparked a protest on Friday by priests in the Catholic Diocese of Enugu state, who took to the state’s government house to demand an end to the killing of their colleagues by criminals.

Reacting to Offu’s death on Saturday, President expressed “deep shock and dismay over the killing of another priest.”

In a condolence message issued by his media aide, Garba Shehu, the President ordered “a thorough manhunt for the killers and their immediate prosecution.”

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According to Shehu, Buhari described Offu’s killing as “barbaric and unwarranted’’, while assuring the Catholic Church and all Nigerians that the fight against “lawlessness and recklessness’’ will be intensified.

“The entire nation is shaken by the horrible assassination of this priest. The administration will continue to guarantee the freedom of religion and protect places of worship as well as the lives of citizens wherever they live,” the President was quoted to have added.

Buhari further charged security agencies in the country to investigate the killing and ensure perpetrators of the “horrific crime’’ are brought to book.

Meanwhile, the Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Adamu, on Friday, ordered a “massive manhunt” for killers of the Catholic priest.

The Police Force PRO, Frank Mba, said crack detectives from the IGP-Intelligence Response Unit (IRT), the Forensic and Homicide sections of the Force Criminal Investigation Department (FCID) had been deployed to Enugu State to complement the Command in their investigations of the killing.

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Mba also said in a statement that the Assistant Inspector General of Police (AIG) in charge of Zone 9 Headquarters has been directed to mobilize more units of Police Mobile Force (PMF) personnel to the state.

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