Kehinde Fajobi
The Catholic Diocese of Nnewi has confirmed the tragic killing of Reverend Father Tobias Chukwujekwu Okonkwo, a priest and pharmacist, by unidentified gunmen in Ihiala, Anambra State.
In a statement signed by the Chancellor of the Diocese, Reverend Father Raphael Ezeogu, it was disclosed that Fr. Okonkwo was shot dead on Boxing Day, between 7 pm and 8 pm, along the Onitsha-Owerri Expressway.
The Diocese described the murder as a devastating loss but urged the faithful to trust in divine consolation.
“This is a painful and irreparable loss to the Diocese. We call on the faithful to pray and offer Holy Masses for the eternal rest of Fr. Tobias and to console his bereaved family,” the statement read.
Fr. Okonkwo, born on August 11, 1984, was ordained a priest on July 11, 2015. At the time of his death, he served as the Manager of the Schools of Nursing, Midwifery, and Medical Laboratory at Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital, Ihiala.
The killing comes barely two weeks after the abduction of a 75-year-old retired Anglican Archbishop, Most Reverend Godwin Okpala, whose whereabouts remain unknown.
The Diocese stated that funeral arrangements for Fr. Okonkwo would be announced in due course.