In Video Before Brutal Murder, Late Sierra Leonean Priest Testifies He Was Happy “to lead people to God”

Freetown, 22 September, 2025 / 9:55 PM

A widely circulated video shows the late Fr. Augustine Amadu testifying about the joy of serving as Parish Priest in Sierra Leone’s Catholic Diocese of Kenema days before his  August 30 brutal murder.

The media and Communications team of the Diocese of Kenema interviewed Fr. Amadu who served as the Priest in charge of Kenema’s Immaculate Conception Parish on August 23, a week before he was attacked and killed.

The Sierra Leonean Priest was murdered on the eve of his farewell Mass after serving as Parish Priest for five years. His next pastoral assignment would have been at St. John Kailahun Parish of Kenema Diocese.

In the interview, Fr. Amadu shares the joy of serving as the founding Parish Priest of the Sierra Leonean Parish and having been allowed the opportunity to “lead people to God.”

“I thank God for every moment in my life,” the Priest says, and adds, “Challenges have also come along the journey but to crown everything, it has been a very wonderful encounter.”

Recounting his 24 November 2019 appointment to shepherd Immaculate Conception Parish, he says, “This is my first parish to serve in capacity as Parish Priest. I was very happy, and I took the responsibility very seriously.’

“The responsibility of a Parish Priest, first of all, is to lead people to God. So, I was very delighted when the bishop accorded me the opportunity to come over to serve as Parish Priest…I was enthusiastic. Yes, I felt happy about it.”

Fr. Amadu speaks of how enthusiastic he was to take up leadership of the Parish, which was the newest in Kenema at his appointment in 2019.

He says, “It was my responsibility to lead the people to God, to promote the sacramental life of the people and also to strengthen the outstations. Throughout these five years, I have ensured that I administer the Sacraments with my collaborators. I also made sure that I went regularly to the outstations so that the people could feel part of the bigger parish community.”

Fr. Amadu was laid to rest on September 19. At his burial Mass, Bishop Henry Aruna of Kenema decried the sudden wave of violence in the city of Kenema, and the failure by authorities to act.

“Residents deserve to live in peace,” Bishop Aruna said, adding that harassment, intimidation, beatings, wounding, loss of property and the killing of innocent people in Kenema had reached “unacceptable levels”.

“We call for robust action. Enough is enough!” said the Sierra Leonean Catholic Bishop who started his Episcopal Ministry in January 2013 as Local Ordinary of Makeni Catholic Diocese.

He said that the entire Diocese was grappling with many “unanswered questions” following the brutal murder of Fr. Amadu who met his assailants while he was preparing for a new mission in Kenema.

“We are still in utter shock and disbelief concerning the motive of this heinous act. This unprecedented event has attracted national and international interest, as so many unanswered questions are being raised,” Bishop Aruna said in the statement he co-signed with the Diocese’s Vicar General and Chancellor.

He, however, clarifies that the August 30 incident was not an isolated case.

The Catholic Bishop says that in the city of Kenema and in the Burma III section in particular, criminal gangs are “having a field day”, as they attack, beat, rob and kill people with little, slow or no police response.