Tragedy in Ihiala: A Catholic priest shot dead
IHIALA, Nigeria – In another worrying sign of worsening security in Africa’s most populous country, a Catholic priest was shot dead in the street in southeastern Nigeria on Boxing Day.
In a statement issued by the Nnewi Diocese, it was reported that the priest was traveling on a local expressway on the evening of December 26 when he was attacked by unknown assailants. The precise circumstances of this event as well as its context remain unclear at the moment.
In a statement made on December 27, Father Raphael Ezeogu, chancellor of the diocese, clarified that Father Tobias Chukwujekwu Okonkwo “was shot dead by unidentified assailants in Ihiala, on the Onitsha-Owerri highway”, between 19 and 20 hours.
The slain priest was a pharmacist and headed several establishments, including nursing, midwifery and medical laboratory schools at Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital in Ihiala, Father Ezeogu noted.
He also added: “We ask you to pray and celebrate masses for his eternal joy.”
According to the online newspaper “Premium Times”, the police in Anambra State are yet to confirm the incident. The number of murders and kidnappings in the state has increased recently. Gangs engage in kidnapping to extort ransoms from families and organizations.
In Nigeria, armed gangs, commonly known as “bandits”, who particularly target Christians, appear to make the year 2024 a particularly difficult period in terms of security in the region. In November, these “bandits” kidnapped, then released, three Catholic priests.
Although full statistics for 2024 are not yet available, between September 2022 and August 2023, as many as 21 Catholic priests were kidnapped in Nigeria, according to the bishops’ conference.
Fulani herdsmen, called the fourth deadliest terrorist group in the world, have also kidnapped civilians and students for ransoms, while seizing farmland and displacing thousands of Christian farmers.
Bishop Oliver Dashe Doeme of Maiduguri stressed that the Church and the Christian faithful in North-East Nigeria are suffering greatly from terrorist activities.
“In recent years, Christians have suffered rejection and persecution from extremists and the state,” the bishop told OSV News.
The death of this Catholic priest adds to the tragedies that occurred during the Christmas period in Nigeria.
Leaders of the Nigerian Catholic Church have expressed deep sadness over the deaths of several people during a charity event organized by the Church just days before Christmas, with several food distributions claiming 67 lives.
On December 21, ten people were killed in a tragic stampede at the Holy Trinity Catholic Church in Maitama, an upscale neighborhood of the federal capital Abuja. More than 1,000 people were evacuated from the Church.
The event was organized by the Society of Saint Vincent de Paul, an international Catholic charity. Eight people were also injured.
These recent incidents highlight how economic hardship has worsened living conditions and left many Nigerians in distress.
Takeaways
- The slain priest, Father Tobias Chukwujekwu Okonkwo, was also a pharmacist and ran various health facilities.
- The security situation in Nigeria has deteriorated, particularly due to kidnappings of Christians by armed groups.
- The difficult economic climate is contributing to increased violence and recent charity-related tragedies.
This situation highlights a pressing challenge facing Nigerian society. What could be the appropriate response both in terms of security and social assistance to alleviate this violence and suffering?
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- Source : https://www.osvnews.com/2024/12/28/gunmen-shoot-dead-catholic-priest-in-nigeria-on-boxing-day/
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