Gunmen Kill Catholic Priest, Okonkwo In Anambra

Unidentified gunmen have shot and killed Rev. Fr. Tobias Chukwujekwu Okonkwo, a priest serving under the Catholic Diocese of Nnewi, Anambra State.

The incident occurred on Thursday evening along the Onitsha-Owerri expressway near Ihiala.

In a statement released on Friday, Rev. Fr. Raphael Ezeogu, Chancellor of the Nnewi Diocese, confirmed the tragic event, describing the attack as shocking and devastating.

The statement reads, “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.

“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.”

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 southeast 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 reach their destination.