Gunmen have tragically killed a Catholic priest, Reverend Father Tobias Okonkwo, in Anambra State.
Okonkwo, a priest of the Catholic Diocese of Nnewi, was shot dead on Thursday by unidentified assailants along the Onitsha-Owerri Expressway.
This was disclosed in a letter dated December 27, 2024, by the Diocesan Secretariat in Nnewi and signed by the Chancellor, Nnewi Diocese, Rev. Fr. Raphael Ezeogu.
The letter revealed that Okonkwo was born on August 11, 1984 and was ordained a Catholic priest on July 11, 2015. The chancellor also called for prayers and Holy Masses for the repose of Okonkwo’s soul from the Catholic faithful.
“Where sorrow increases, divine consolation increases all the more. The Catholic Diocese of Nnewi announces, with sorrow but with stronger faith, that our dear Rev. Fr. Tobias Chukwujekwu Okonkwo died yesterday, December 26, 2024,” the letter read.
“He was shot dead by unidentified assailants at Ihiala, along the Onitsha-Owerri Expressway, between 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 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.”
This incident underscores the increasing violence targeting members of the clergy. About three weeks ago, a retired Archbishop of the Niger Province and Bishop of Nnewi, Most Rev. Prof. Godwin Okpala, was reported to have disappeared along with his driver.
The police authorities are yet to respond to the killing of Fr. Okonkwo. The community continues to mourn the loss of a beloved priest whose dedication and service left a lasting impact.