Yet-to-be-identified gunmen have reportedly killed a priest under the Benin Catholic Archdiocese.
NIGERIACRIME gathered that the priest C harless Igechi, was shot dead along Agbor Road in the Ikhueniro axis of Benin, the Edo capital.
The remains of Igechi were found at Boundary Street in Ikpoba Hill, under Ikpoba Okha Local Government Area.
The incident was confirmed by the Catholic Archbishop of Benin, Augustine Akubeze, in a statement he issued to the press on Thursday.
Akubeze decried the way the deceased lost his life and urged the security agency to apprehend the perpetrators.
Furthermore, the religious leader said the deceased, ordained last year, was ambushed and shot on his way back to his place of duty.
“Rev. Fr. Charles Onomhoale Igechi, who was ordained on August 13, 2022, was the Vice Principal of St. Michael College, Ikhueniro.
“We received the news this morning that he was shot on his way back to his place of assignment…We wish to solicit your prayers for the happy repose of his soul.”
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Father Akubeze announced a Mass for Igechi on June 9, 2023, at the Bishop Kelly Pastoral Centre’s Chapel at 10:00 a.m.
In another development, an Ikeja Magistrates’ Court, on Friday, remanded three men, Abdullahi Alimi, 44, Oladipupo Fagbe, 43 and Rasaq Alimi, 21, in Kirikiri Correctional Centre, for alleged armed robbery.
The Magistrate, Mrs A. Akinyemi, who did not take the defendants’ pleas, ordered that the case file be sent to the Director of Public Prosecutions, DPP, for advice.
Akinyemi adjourned the case until July 26 for DPP’s response.
The defendants are facing a four-count charge of conspiracy, stealing, receiving stolen property and robbery.
Earlier, the prosecutor, DSP Chinalu Nwadione, told the court that the defendants committed the offences with some other persons at large on April 13 at Ogba Road, Agege, Lagos.
Nwadione said the defendants armed themselves with knives and robbed the complainant, Mr Musa Ganiyu, of his N20,000.
He also said that the defendants stole 504 cartons of origin bitters, valued at N4.5 million, property of Fafem Haulage Nigeria Ltd.