Reverend Father Tobias Okonkwo, a Catholic priest from the Diocese of Nnewi, was shot dead by gunmen on December 26, 2024, along the Onitsha-Owerri Expressway. The Diocese of Nnewi confirmed his death, urging prayers for his eternal rest. The police have yet to respond to the incident.
Gunmen have killed a Catholic priest, Reverend Father Tobias Okonkwo, in Anambra State. The incident occurred on Thursday, December 26, 2024, along the Onitsha-Owerri Expressway, around 7 to 8 PM. Okonkwo, a priest of the Catholic Diocese of Nnewi, was shot by unidentified assailants while traveling through Ihiala. The Diocese confirmed his death in a statement signed by Rev. Fr. Raphael Ezeogu, the Diocesan Chancellor, who also requested prayers for his eternal rest.
Fr. Tobias, born on August 11, 1984, and ordained a priest on July 11, 2015, had been serving as the manager of the Schools of Nursing, Midwifery, and Medical Laboratory at Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital in Ihiala. He was also a trained pharmacist and hailed from Ekwulumili in Nnewi South Local Government Area. The Diocese expressed deep sorrow over the loss, urging the faithful to offer Masses in his memory.
This tragic incident is the latest in a string of violent attacks on religious leaders in the region. About three weeks ago, the retired Archbishop of the Niger Province, Most Rev. Prof. Godwin Okpala, was reported missing, alongside his driver. As of now, the police have not provided a statement on the killing, and the search for the assailants continues.
