A Catholic priest in Imo State is being
investigated by the police in the state over
unlawful possession of firearms. The priest,
said to be in-charge of one of the
prominent Parishes in Dikenafai, Ideato
South Local Government area, Imo State,
was arrested for allegedly being in
possession of three unlicensed guns with
which he allegedly threatened the lives of
his parishioners.
The guns which include one pump action
riffle, one double-barrelled gun and a
locally-made pistol allegedly belonging to
the priest were recovered from his official
residence by operatives of Special Armed
Robbery Squad, SARS, Imo State Police
Command acting on a tip off from
concerned parishioners.
The reverend father was arrested and
detained briefly but granted bail by the
police following the intervention of some
influential religious and political leaders in
the state.
The controversy surrounding the catholic
priest, according to a police source,
stemmed from a tragedy that occurred in
January 2010, after the death of a
prominent indigene of the area. The
resident priest was said to have raised
issues over the burial ceremony which
inflamed the natives and they had to lodge
formal complaints to the Bishop of the area
over the way the priest was allegedly calling
people names while conducting services.
The source told Vanguard that the matter
became worse after armed robbers
reportedly attacked the priest in his official
residence and he openly accused some
prominent citizens of the area of
masterminding the robbery.
Following his open accusation, some of
them to write a petition to the
Commissioner of Police in Imo State,
accusing the priest of threatening their lives
with dangerous weapons. The Police boss
acted on the petition and sent detectives
from the Special Anti-Robbery Squad,
SARS, to the residence of the priest where
some weapons were allegedly recovered.
Investigation into the case is ongoing by the
police to ascertain the source of the guns
found at the residence of the controversial
priest, and possibly what they are being
used for.
