By Ijeoma John, Nnewi
Gunmen suspected to be assassins on Thursday in Ihiala, Anambra State, gunned down a promising young Catholic priest, Rev Father Tobias Chukwujekwu Okonkwo, who was said to be heading to his base in the same Ihiala, from Ekwulumili, his hometown.
The incident was said to had occured in the evening of Thursday 26 December 2024.
The young priest was said to had visited his aged mother at their village in Urueze, Ekwulumili, after which he headed back to his parish in Ihiala. But the gunmen trailed him to Ihiala, where he was shot several times.
Before his untimely death
, Fr. Okonkwo served as a pharmacist and was the priest in charge of Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital, Ihiala. He also managed the hospital’s Schools of Nursing, Midwifery, and Medical Laboratory.
The Chancellor of Nnewi Diocese, Rev. Fr. Raphael Ezeogu, confirmed the incident in an official obituary on Friday.
It reads : “Born: August 11, 1984; Ordained: July 11, 2015, Died: December 26, 2024. 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, 26th December 2024. He was shot dead by unidentified assailants, at Ihiala, along Onitsha-Owerri Expressway around 7 p.m. and 8 p.m.
“Funeral arrangements will be communicated in due course.
“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.”
The news of Fr. Okonkwo’s death has sent shockwaves through the community, with many mourning the loss of a beloved spiritual leader and healthcare professional.
A reliable source close to the family told DisclosureNews, that 19 years ago, the elder brother of the late Rev Father, Uche Linco, was grunsomely gunned down somewhere at Agulu, by hired assassins. His killers had not been found since then.
This reporter was reliable informed that the late Father’s aged mother has been informed of his demise, and she was said to be devastated by the news of her last born in the family.
Police authorities in Ihiala and Anambra State Police command have not said anything concerning the murder of the priest.