A Catholic priest, Reverend Father David Tanko, at Kufai Amadu in Taraba State HSS been brutally murdered by some gunmen.
The cleric was on his way to Takum for a peace meeting with his fellow clergymen on how to resolve the lingering Tiv, Jukun crisis, when he was killed.
The chairman of the council, Shiban Tikari, disclosed that after killing him, the attackers set him and his car on fire. He alleged that the attack was carried out by Tiv militias.
The Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Jalingo, The Most Rev. Charles Hammawa on Thursday confirmed the killing of Rev. Fr. David Tanko by yet-to-be-identified persons in Taraba.
Hammawa in a telephone interview with The Punch reporter, he described the priest’s brutal killing as shocking.
“We received the news of his death with shock. This is sad. The diocese is mourning.
“We have been preaching peace and making efforts to bring both parties in the crisis in the area to a roundtable discussion.
“For a priest who has been preaching peace to be killed in this most gruesome manner is pathetic, to say the least. A priest belongs to all.
“For now, we are not pointing accusing finger at any group. The Police authority in the state have promised me that they are investigating the case, we pray that the perpetrators be brought to justice.
“Our basic concern now is to give him a befitting burial. We don’t want any group to go on reprisal. Going on reprisal will only worsen the situation,” he said.
