A Catholic priest, Rev. Fr. Samuel Oyetoro, has been killed in Ajaokuta, Kogi State, in an attack that has left the Catholic community and residents mourning.
The priest, who was serving at St. Paul’s Parish in Ayetoro Gbede, Ijumu Local Government Area, was reportedly attacked with a machete while in Ajaokuta. His body was later discovered by the roadside along Church Road on July 29.
According to the Kogi State Police Command, officers received a report at about 9:30 a.m. that an unidentified man’s lifeless body had been found by the roadside. A police team immediately visited the scene and observed that the victim had sustained severe machete wounds to the head.
The body was evacuated to a hospital in Ajaokuta, where medical personnel confirmed the victim dead before it was deposited in the mortuary for an autopsy.
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Police investigations later identified the deceased as Rev. Fr. Samuel Oyetoro, a Catholic priest attached to St. Paul’s Parish, Ayetoro Gbede, in Ijumu Local Government Area.
The Police Public Relations Officer, ASP Oyiza Afusat, confirmed that detectives have commenced an investigation into the killing. She said efforts were ongoing to identify and arrest those responsible, adding that the case would be transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department after preliminary findings for further investigation.
The motive behind the killing has not yet been established, and no arrests have been announced.
The incident has sparked grief among members of the Catholic Church and residents across Kogi State, with many calling for a thorough investigation and the swift prosecution of those responsible.
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