Gunmen have shot dead a Catholic priest, Rev. Fr. Mathew Eya, in Eha-Ndiagu community, Eha-Alumonah, Nsukka Local Government Area of Enugu State.
The incident occurred on Friday evening while Eya, parish priest of St. Charles Catholic Church, was returning from Enugu.
According to sources, the attackers, who were on a motorcycle, intercepted his vehicle near the site of an ongoing Type C hospital project.
They allegedly shot at his tyres to immobilise the car before firing several rounds at him at close range.
Although some speculated that the killing could be linked to kidnapping, it appeared to be an assassination, as the priest was alone in the car and was not abducted.
“He was returning from Enugu when the gunmen on a motorbike closed in near the hospital project site.
“They shot at his tyres, forcing the car to stop, then moved closer and fired multiple shots at him. It doesn’t look like a kidnapping,” the source said.
Rev. Fr. Eya hailed from Ugbaike in Enugu Ezike, Igbo-Eze North Local Government Area.
As of the time of filing this report, both the police and the Catholic Diocese of Nsukka had yet to issue official statements on the incident.