Gunmen have killed a Catholic priest in Anambra State, from Nnewi Catholic Diocese, Rev Fr Tobias Chukwujekwu Okonkwo.
The news of Fr Okonkwo’s death was revealed in a statement signed by Rev. Fr. Raphael Ezeogu, the Chancellor of the Nnewi Diocese.
The statement described Fr. Tobias as a devoted priest and pharmacist. He was said to have been shot dead by unidentified assailants in Ihiala, Anambra State, on Boxing Day, December 26, 2024.
This incident is coming barely two weeks after the abduction of a 75-year-old retired Anglican Archbishop, Most Reverend Godwin Okpala, who is still being held by his abductors.
Ezeogu described the incident as a devastating loss but said the diocese expressed faith in divine consolation.
The statement revealed that the priest was born on August 11, 1984 and that as at the time of his death, he was serving as the Manager of the Schools of Nursing, Midwifery, and Medical Laboratory at Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital Ihiala.
The Catholic Diocese of Nnewi has called on the faithful to offer prayers and Holy Masses for the eternal rest of Fr. Tobias and to console his bereaved family.
