Enugu State Government has condemned the gruesome murder of a Catholic Priest identified as Reverend Father Paul Offu, by yet to be identified gunmen.
The late Offu was killed while traveling along Ihe-Agbudu Road in Awgu Local Government Area, Enugu, on Thurday evening.
He was returning from a meeting of Catholic Priests at Emene in Enugu state.
Addressing journalists in Enugu after an emergency security meeting at Government House, Commissioner of Police in the State, Balarabe Sulieman, said Enugu State Government has resolved to carryout air surveillance in all forests that “this dastardly acts incidences are taking place”.
He said after the air surveillance, the security agencies will embark on rigorous joint operations from Monday 5th of August, 2019.
He stated that the security architecture around those areas will be reviewed with immediate effect.
Sulieman, who read the communique also announced that the state government has also observed that there is proliferation of small and light weapons in the hands of people that are not suppose to possess arms.
He said the state has set up a committee comprising security agencies, Local Government Chairmen to mop up these illegal weapons that are in the hands of people illegally.
According to Sulieman, the committee have been given three days to submit the illegal guns after which, people found to be in possession of weapons illegally will be dealt with in accordance with the law.
He also disclosed that Enugu state has resolved to employ the services of forests guards as well strengthen neighborhood watch and assured that the state command and other security agencies have resolved to fish out the criminals with immediate effect.
Archbishop of Enugu Diocese, His Grace, Emmanuel Chukwuma, commiserated the Catholic Church over the killing one of its priests.
He said that Enugu State is safe and commended the efforts of the state governor in the area of security in the state.
He also called on the Inspector General of Police to increase the number of policemen in Enugu State, noting that the number of policemen in the state is inadequate.
Meanwhile, Catholic Priests who were angered by the demise of of one of their colleagues within the Catholic Diocese of Enugu staged a peaceful protest in some parts of Enugu on Friday.
Addressing journalists on the development, Catholic Bishop of Enugu, Most Rev. Callistus Onaga, said that the protest was to register the displeasure of the diocese over the incessant attacks on Catholic priests by hoodlums in the state, which had lasted for seven years now.
Onaga said that the Catholic priests were simply demanding for more security in the state; adding that “if there are crop of bad herdsmen in the state they should be fished out and we will continue to live in peace with the good ones’’