Gunmen have killed Tobias Chukwujekwu Okonkwo, a priest
under the Catholic Diocese of Nnewi, in Anambra state.
In a statement on Friday, Raphael Ezeogu, chancellor of
Nnewi Diocese, said the priest was shot dead by “unidentified assailants” on
Thursday evening at Ihiala along the Onitsha-Owerri expressway in Anambra.
“The Catholic Diocese of Nnewi announces, with sorrow but
with stronger faith, that our dear Rev. Fr. Tobias Chukwujekwu Okonkwo died
yesterday, 26th December 2024,” the statement reads.
“He was shot dead by unidentified assailants at Ihiala,
along the Onitsha-Owerri Expressway, around 7 pm and 8 pm.
“Till yesterday, Fr. Tobias, a pharmacist and native of
Ekwulumili in Nnewi South Local Government Area, was manager of the respective
Schools of Nursing, Midwifery, and Medical Laboratory at Our Lady of Lourdes
Hospital, Ihiala.
“We solicit your prayers and Holy Masses for his eternal
joy. May Fr. Tobias rejoice in Paradise forever. Amen. May God console the
bereaved.
“Funeral arrangements will be communicated in due course.”
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Okonkwo was born on August 11, 1984. He became a Catholic
priest on July 11, 2015.
The recent incident highlights the worsening security
situation in the south-east geopolitical zone, particularly in Anambra state.
On Tuesday, gunmen abducted Justice Azuka, a member of the
Anambra house of assembly, along Ugwunapampa road in the Onitsha area of the
state.
On December 7, Godwin Okpala, an Anglican bishop, was
declared missing in the state.
Okpala was said to have travelled to the Umuchu area of the
state alongside his driver, but they did not get to their destination.
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