The Inspector General of Police (IGP), Ibrahim Idris, has ordered the Imo State Commissioner of Police, Chris Ezike, to arrest the killers of Rev Fr Cyriacus Onunkwo of the Orlu Catholic diocese.
Onunkwo, who returned to organise the funeral rites of his father, Celestine Onunkwo, who died last weekend, was kidnapped on Friday at Amaifeke in Orlu town. His body was found the next day (Saturday) at Omumma, in the Oru East Local Council of the state.
Speaking separately yesterday during visits to the Archbishop of Owerri Catholic archbishop, AJV Obinna and the Bishop of Orlu Catholic diocese, Most Rev Augustine Ukwuoma, the CP said the IGP was saddened by the development and had therefore ordered his command and the IGP Technical Intelligence Unit to partner in apprehending the perpetrators.
Ezike said: “The Inspector General of Police is pained by this sad development. He has therefore asked the Technical Intelligence Unit to assist the command in bringing the culprits to book.
“A post mortem on the body is most desirable because there was no machete cuts on his body, the crime is very unusual. His car was not taken. I have asked my men to bring every hypothesis on the table.”
The CP called on the members of the public to partner with the police in making sure that those who killed the cleric did not escape justice.
Archbishop Obinna who described the development as emotionally devastating, regretted that youths have made crime an occupation.
Bishop Ukwuoma said: “We are devastated because it is a brutal murder. We will cooperate with the police in their investigation. The Catholic Church is pained because Rev Fr Cyriacus Onunkwo was a loyal priest.”
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