Tragedy unfolded over the weekend in Enugu as Rev. Fr. Mathew Eya, the parish priest of St. Charles Catholic Church in Eha-Ndiagu, Nsukka Local Government Area, was fatally shot by gunmen.
Reports indicate that Fr. Eya was ambushed on Eha-Ndiagu road by armed men believed to be kidnappers.
He died instantly at the scene, while other passengers in the vehicle were reportedly abducted.
A statement circulating online confirmed the death and expressed the Nsukka Catholic Diocese’s grief over the loss of the priest.
However, some sources have suggested the killing may have been a targeted assassination rather than an attempted kidnapping.
An eyewitness described the incident, saying the priest was driving alone near the Type C hospital project site when the attackers “demobilised the tyres, forced the vehicle to stop, and shot him multiple times at close range.”
The witness added that the attack did not appear to involve any ransom demands.
Fr. Eya was originally from Ugbaike in Enugu Ezike, Igbo-Eze North Local Government Area.
Authorities, including the police and the Catholic Diocese, have yet to release official statements regarding the incident.
The killing has generated fear and outrage among locals, with calls for swift measures to address the increasing violence in the state.
