Citizens of Osina, the Catholic Bishop of Orlu, Most Rev Dr Augustine Ukwuoma and the entire Orlu Catholic Diocese in Imo State were thrown into lamentation and mourning when the body of Rev Father Cyriacus ONUNKWO was on Friday found dead after he was kidnapped.
Father Onunkwo, on study leave in Rome, returned last week after spending a few days in Lagos to bury his late father who hails from Osina in Ideato local government area of Imo State, the country local government area after the. Governor of Imo State Owelle Rochas Okorocha. Pa Onunkwo died last month and is yet to be buried.
HERE IS AN ACCOUNT OF A CLOSE ASSOCIATE :
"Yesterday, on the very first day of "mber Months", 1st September, around 7pm in the evening, the younger brother of Fr. Jude Udokwu (newly ordained) was somewhere close to Mbara-Okporo, driving with his friend when some gunmen attacked him. They were alleged to be kidnappers. He escaped them with many bullet holes in his car. It was this same group that struck shortly after, at Nkwoito, unfortunately it was our brother, Fr. Cyriacus Onunkwo (Boss) who they captured. Fr. Cyriacus had come home to arrange for the burial of his father, who just died on Monday, but his death was yet to be announced to the priests.
Initially, eye witnesses attested that the man kidnapped seemed to a priest but didnt know who. When the police working with Fr. Ihenetu Christopher (Cuba) came to the scene, they saw the abandoned car, an ash coloured Corolla. They searched the car and found an envelope with Fr. Onunkwo's name on it. Fr. Cuba started making enquiries upon which he discovered through the help of Fr. Udem and Fr. Ukoha that Fr. Cyriacus Onunkwo actually came home for his father's burial arrangements and was staying at Fr. Udem's place. They further confirmed that the Corolla abandoned on the scene actually belonged to him.
They tried his number but it was switched off. Investigations commenced while waiting for the first contact of the kidnappers. Unfortunately, rather than the expected contact, the police called to inform Fr. Cuba that a corpse was found, gagged and tied hands and legs, with blood oozing from mouth, ears and nostrils. Fr. Kenneth Obialisi and Fr. Cuba responded to the police information only to find out that it was our own Fr. Onunkwo and he was already dead!
There was no bullet wound on his body or any serious sign of battering but only blood from the mentioned organs. It appears he might have suffocated or had heart attacks resulting in brain haemorrhage. They must have thrown him out when he died. (These are speculations pending conclusion of police investigations)
His body was deposited at Nempi, closest mortuary to where they found him. But right now it is being transferred to our hospital, St. Damian's Okporo.
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