Gunmen shoot Catholic priest dead in Nigeria on Boxing Day

IHIALA, Nigeria (OSV News) -- In a dark sign of descending security in Africa's most populous country, a Catholic priest has been shot dead on the open road in southeast Nigeria on Boxing Day.

According to a statement from the Diocese of Nnewi, the priest was traveling on a local expressway on the evening of Dec. 26 when gunmen shot at him. Details about the course of events and the background are not yet publicly known.

In a Dec. 27 statement, Father Raphael Ezeogu, chancellor of the diocese, said that Father Tobias Chukwujekwu Okonkwo "was shot dead by unidentified assailants, at lhiala, along Onitsha-Owerri Expressway," between 7 and 8 p.m.

The murdered priest was a pharmacist, and manager of several institutions, such as schools of nursing, midwifery, and medical laboratory at Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital Ihiala, Father Ezeogu said in his statement.

He added: "We solicit your prayers and Holy Masses for his eternal joy."

According to the online newspaper "Premium Times", the police in Anambra state have not yet confirmed the incident. The number of murders and kidnappings in the state has risen recently. Gangs use kidnappings to try to extort ransom money from relatives and organizations.

In Nigeria, armed gangs locally known as "bandits" -- which target Christians -- were making 2024 the worst year for security in the region's recent history. In November, the "bandits" had kidnapped -- and released -- three Catholic priests.

While comprehensive data has not been given for 2024 yet, between September 2022 and August 2023 alone, 21 Catholic priests were kidnapped in Nigeria, the bishops' conference said.

The Fulani herders -- militia dubbed the fourth deadliest terror group in the world -- also kidnapped civilians and abducted schoolchildren for ransom, while seizing farms and displacing thousands of Christian farmers.

Bishop Oliver Dashe Doeme of Maiduguri, Nigeria, said the church and Christian faithful in northeast Nigeria were suffering heavily from terrorist activities.

"Over the years, Christians have experienced rejection and persecution from both extremists and the state," the bishop told OSV News.

The death of the Catholic priest adds to the tragic toll of Christmas in Nigeria.

Leaders of the Catholic Church in Nigeria expressed deep sorrow at the death of several people at one of the church's Christmas charity events ahead of Christmas, as separate December food distribution events left 67 people dead.

Ten people were killed Dec. 21 in a tragic weekend stampede at Holy Trinity Catholic Church in Maitama, an upscale part of Nigerian capital, Abuja. More than 1,000 people were evacuated from the church.

The St. Vincent de Paul Society, an international Catholic charity organization, organized the event. Eight people were injured.

The latest tragedies have underlined how economic hardships have worsened the living conditions and left most of the ordinary Nigerians desperate.