A Catholic priest, Rev. Fr. Samuel Oyetoro, has been killed in Ajaokuta, Kogi State, in an attack that has left the Catholic community and residents of the state in mourning.
Oyetoro, who was born in Egbe, Yagba West Local Government Area and hailed from Ayetoro in Ijumu Local Government Area, was serving at St. Paul’s Parish, Ayetoro Gbede, Ijumu LGA, before his death.
According to reports, the priest was attacked with a machete, and his lifeless body was later discovered by the roadside in Ajaokuta.
Confirming the incident on Friday, the Kogi State Police Command said the killing occurred on July 29, 2026.
The Police Public Relations Officer, ASP Oyiza Afusat, said officers received a report at about 9:30 a.m. that the body of an unidentified man had been found along Church Road in Ajaokuta.
She said police operatives immediately visited the scene and found that the victim had sustained severe machete wounds to the head.
The body was taken to ASCL Hospital, where a doctor confirmed him dead, before it was deposited in the mortuary for an autopsy.
Afusat added that the deceased was later identified as Rev. Fr. Samuel Oyetoro of St. Paul’s Parish, Ayetoro Gbede, Ijumu Local Government Area.
She said investigations are ongoing to identify and arrest those responsible for the killing.
According to the police spokesperson, the case will be transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department after preliminary investigations for further probe.
The tragic incident has sparked grief among members of the Catholic Church and residents across Kogi State.
