YAOUNDE, DECEMBER 4, 2018 (CISA) – Bishop Andrew Nkea of Catholic Diocese of Mamfe has disagreed with the Cameroon government over the identity of killer of a Kenyan Priest, Fr Cosmas Omboto Ondari.
Fr Cosmas, a Mill Hill Missionary serving as the parochial vicar of St. Martin of Tours Parish in Kembong village, met his death on November 21.
“The Christians explained to me that there was a military vehicle that was coming into the village, and as they were driving into the village, they were shooting. Father tried to escape but was shot right at the church door… He fell there. The other Christians managed to escape to the back of the church, others including a seminarian escaped to father’s house and other places,” Bishop Ankea said in a statement released on November 22.
On the government’s side, the country’s defense minister, Joseph Beti Assomo did not only absolve the military, but also accused separatists who have been fighting government forces of killing the priest.
“The preliminary investigations reveal that the authors of this criminal act did this to discredit the defense and security forces,” said the minister in a statement according to Crux.
The Cameroon communications minister also denied that state forces were responsible for the shooting and echoed the defense minister’s sentiments through a tweet that read, “The killing was not done by the military.”
Fr. Cosmas’ Requiem Mass was held today at Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic Church in Adam’s Arcade Nairobi. His burial will take place in Kisii, Kenya on December 6.
