The lifeless body of the 33-year-old Priest was found in the farmland behind the Catechetical Training School, Malunfashi.
The Fidei Donum Priest, a member of the Clergy of Kaduna Archdiocese, was killed during the night of May 20 when gunmen attacked St. Vincent Ferrer Catholic Parish of Sokoto Diocese where he was serving as Parish Priest
The Local Ordinary of Sokoto, Bishop Matthew Kukah, is spearheading negotiations to secure the safe release of Fr. Joe Keke who was kidnapped the same night Fr. Bello, a Clergy of Kaduna Archdiocese, was murdered.
In his June 1 homily, the Local Ordinary of Kaduna Archdiocese emphasized the need to seek “justice and fair play for all” amid the practice of forgiveness.
Those who practice forgiveness become "true disciples of our Master who did not only pray for the forgiveness of his executioners but also made excuses for them,” he said.
"He prayed: 'Father, forgive them for they know not what they do,'" Archbishop Ndagoso said in reference to Jesus' prayer for those behind his crucifixion, and explained, "The murderer of Fr. Alphonsus and many others like them do not know what they do."
"We cannot talk about genuine forgiveness, reconciliation and peace without first of all working for justice and fair play for all," he clarified, adding, "A situation where equal citizens are treated unequally because of ethnic, religious, political and social affiliation does not augur well for peace and peaceful co-existence."
Making reference to the Pastoral Constitution on the Church in the Modern World, Gaudium et Spes, the Nigerian Archbishop explained, “Peace as the fathers of the Second Vatican Council tell us is the fruit of the harmony built into human society by the Creator and is brought about by men and women as they strive to attain an even more perfect justice.”
He acknowledged the fact that Priests in the country “live in challenging and even frightening times.”
“We pastoral agents are subjected to all kinds of hardship but never distressed. We see no way out but never despair. We are pursued but never cut off. We are knocked down but still have some life in us. We carry with us in our body the death of Jesus so that the life of Jesus too may be visible in our body,” said the 61-year-old Nigerian Archbishop.