An assistant parish priest of Saint Kelvin Catholic Church, Ogbaku, in the Owerri West Local Government Area of Imo State was allegedly shot by unknown gunmen on Christmas day.
The yet to be identified priest was said to have been shot around 8am on Christmas Day while approaching the church gate for morning Mass, by gunmen suspected to be fleeing an undisclosed incident.
An anonymous source said the priest was hit in the right hand, adding that the assailant was not seen at the scene as they appeared to have fired from a concealed and distant location.
According to them, the priest was rushed to an undisclosed hospital, where he is currently receiving medical care as the church continue praying for his recovery.
“Probably it was a stray bullet from somewhere close by but the twist was that nobody saw who fired the shot. Meanwhile, the priest is receiving treatment for gunshot wounds in the hospital and prayers are going on for his survival,” the source said.
Confirming the incident, the state Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Henry Okoye, said the matter had not yet been formally reported to the police.
He said: “Yes, I’m aware of the incident though the church is yet to officially report the shooting. However, the Divisional Police Officer for Owerri West has visited the church to verify the claims. He has also requested to see the priest to aid the investigation.”
The Catholic Archbishop of Owerri Archdiocese, Most Rev. Lucius Ugorji, who also confirmed the shooting said however, that the identity of those responsible remained unknown.
