The Catholic Diocese of Nnewi has confirmed the murder of Rev. Fr. Chukwujekwu Okonkwo, a Catholic priest and pharmacist, who was shot dead by unidentified gunmen on Boxing Day, December 26.
The attack occurred between 7 p.m. and 8 p.m. along the Onitsha-Owerri Expressway in Ihiala.
The Chancellor of the Diocese, Rev. Fr. Tobias Ezeogu, announced the tragic loss in a statement, describing the killing as a devastating blow to the church and community.
Fr. Okonkwo, born on August 11, 1984, was ordained a priest on July 11, 2015.
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 Diocese has urged the faithful to pray for Fr. Okonkwo’s soul and comfort his grieving family, saying that funeral arrangements will be announced later.
Meanwhile, the whereabouts of Most Rev. Godwin Okpala, a 75-year-old retired Anglican Archbishop and former Bishop of the Nnewi Diocese, remain unknown two weeks after he was abducted by gunmen.
A local bus driver told The Nation on Friday, “Nobody feels safe anymore. Many people are considering relocating to other states.”
Efforts to reach the Police Public Relations Officer, Tochukwu Ikenga, were unsuccessful.
However, a senior police officer disclosed that the command had yet to receive a report on the killing but promised to investigate.
