Spanish-born priest of the Catholic Diocese of Enugu, Rev. Father Joachim Cabanyes, has died of COVID-19 complications.
According to the News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, the priest died at the isolation centre of the University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital (UNTH).
The secretary to Bishop Callistus Onaga, the Bishop of Enugu diocese, Nkemjika Igweshi, also confirmed the development in a statement issued on Saturday.
Cabanyes, a Spanish priest of the Opus Dei prelature, served the Nigerian church for more than 20 years.
On his LinkedIn profile, the deceased joined the Catholic priesthood in June 1985, and also had a degree in Biochemistry from the Autonomous University of Madrid (Universidad Autonoma de Madrid).
The Opus Dei community in Canada also confirmed the death, which it said occurred on Thursday, via its Twitter handle.
Fr. Cabanyes has since been buried according to the safety guidelines issued by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC).
