Fr. Cyriacus Ononkwo was kidnapped from his car by gunmen on September 1, 2017, in the village of Orlu in the state of Imo in southern Nigeria. Within 24hours, the body of the priest was found in the bush close to a nearby village, according to the police. Fr. Ononkwo’s body reportedly did not show any outward wounds and so the local authorities suspect that he might have been strangled to death.
The news comes just a few weeks after Vanguard reported that three men were arrested in connection with the death of Fr. Raphael Pankyes, who was killed in Plateau State in the center of the country in July. Violence against Christians in the country have generally increased in recent years, with the Islamic terror group Boko Haram threatening safety all over the country.
No arrests have been made in connection with the death of Fr. Cyriacus Ononkwo thus far, though local police have said the investigation is ongoing.
