- Gunmen Assassinate Catholic Priest, Rev. Fr. Mathew Eya, in Enugu
- The assailants reportedly shot at the Rev. Father tyres, forcing the vehicle to a halt
- The incident has sparked tension within the Nsukka Catholic community
Gunmen have killed a Catholic priest, Rev. Fr. Mathew Eya, in Eha-Ndiagu community, Eha-Alumonah, Nsukka Local Government Area of Enugu State.
Eko Hot Blog reports that the incident occurred on Friday evening as the parish priest of St. Charles Catholic Church was returning from Enugu.
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According to eyewitness accounts, the assailants, riding on a motorcycle, intercepted his vehicle near the site of an ongoing Type C hospital project.
They reportedly shot at his tyres, forcing the vehicle to a halt, before firing multiple rounds at him at close range.
While initial speculations suggested the attack may have been an attempted kidnapping, community sources believe it bore the hallmarks of an assassination since no abduction was carried out and the priest was travelling alone.
“They demobilised the vehicle tyres and forced it to stop. Then they got close and shot him several times at close range. It doesn’t look like a kidnapping situation,” a source said.
The late cleric hailed from Ugbaike in Enugu Ezike, Igbo-Eze North Local Government Area of Enugu State.
As of press time, neither the Enugu State Police Command nor the Catholic Diocese of Nsukka had released an official statement on the killing.
The incident has sparked tension within the Nsukka Catholic community, with parishioners mourning the priest’s death and calling for justice.
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