A Cameroon bishop who was found dead in June was killed for his opposition to homosexual clergy, a local priest has alleged.

Bishop Jean Marie Benoit Bala of Bafia was found dead on June 2, 2017, in mysterious circumstances – his body discovered in a river four miles from his abandoned car after he went missing on May 31.

Now it has been alleged that the 58-year-old bishop was killed for opposing homosexual priests, according to Crux.

Speaking in a memorial Mass homily for the bishop on Thursday, Monsignor Joseph Akonga Essomba gestured towards government ministers and certain clergy present at the service and said: 'Shame to all those people in black suits and black spectacles always sitting in the front rows of the Church.

'Shame to all those priests who have come here, pretending to sympathise. These are the people who killed our bishop, because he said 'No" to the homosexuality perpetrated by those priests.'

Bishop George Nkuo of Kumbo, Cameroon said: 'The same reasons for which Christ was crucified apply to the killing of the bishop.

'He was killed because he stood for the truth. Any pastor, any bishop, any priest who stands for the truth should be ready to face the sword. It's a beautiful way to die.'

A police investigation into Bishop Bala's death concluded that he had drowned. However, Cameroon bishops rejected the report, insisting he was tortured and 'brutally assassinated', according to their evidence.