Fr. James Anelu & late Fr. Dr. Cyril Ofoegbu: Murder in the Vatican? - ITREALMS

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I had a family friend late Fr Cyril Ofoegbu. He was ordained in 1982 or sometime around the early eighties. He was ordained in Archdiocese of Benin city by the most urbane holiness; the American trained Archbishop Pat Ekpu.

Late Rev. Fr. Ofoegbu and suspended Fr. Anelu

Fr Cyril traversed the entire landscape in the archdiocese of Benin. He was a compulsive polyglot. 

He could speak Bini, Urobho, Kwale, Esan and Auchi! He had this charming personality of integrating into his community of service by learning their languages. Lest I forget, he was from Imo State.

While in his apostolate trajectory, he never forgot his books because he strained and got a doctorate degree in Psychology.

And as Fr Cyril was struggling with his apostolate outside his home town, the structures took notice. He was made the Chancellor of the Archdiocese of Benin. I guess, that position put him up as the number one priest in the archdiocese after the bishop. Certainly, he made friends and foes.

The foes he made were those who felt that he had no business to be the chancellor of archdiocese of Benin. He was perceived as an invader and as one who wanted to dominate in another’s home. Possibly, his name must have come up for bishopric along the line. And Fr James Anelu was in Benin diocese about this time.

Now, to the sad part. Some years back, Fr Cyril was on official assignment from Benin to Asaba. He was being driven by his driver. As they were approaching Asaba, he received a call and he described to the caller where he was.

He spoke in English. Few meters along the road, criminals crossed them in. They shot him specifically and pointedly until he died. They took his phone and left.

As usual, the police skirted the edges and closed up the case. I don’t know if any suspect was arrested. And Fr James Anelu was serving in Benin then.

Anyways, I am not saying that Fr James Anelu knows who killed Fr Cyril. God forbid a murder in Vatican, but with his blurt and his magisterial banning of Igbo songs in open church, I think he has capacity to do a few bad things. He is filled with hate and he couldn’t hide it. He was good with the offertory being given by his Igbo parishioners but he couldn’t tolerate a worship song in Igbo language.

And please, a man filled with hate can do worse things to satisfy his hate.  So, Fr Cyril could have been murdered because of hate and fear of domination, even when Fr James Anelu, the hater and scaremonger for domination was in the same diocese with him.

Stuff happens you know.

*Contributed by Mr. Chris Okafor

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