By Deborah Nnamdi
Gunmen have allegedly assassinated Rev. Fr. Mathew Eya, the parish priest of St. Charles Catholic Church, Eha-Ndiagu, in Nsukka Local Government Area of Enugu State.
The tragic incident occurred on Friday evening along the Eha-Ndiagu road while the cleric was returning to his parish. According to community sources, the assailants, believed to have been riding on a motorcycle, intercepted his vehicle and opened fire, killing him instantly.
A source, who requested anonymity, revealed that the attackers first deflated the tyres of the priest’s car, forcing him to stop, before shooting him multiple times at close range.
“He was returning from Enugu when the gunmen closed in on him near the ongoing Type C hospital project. They shot at his car, immobilised it, and then killed him,” the source said.
It was further gathered that another occupant of the vehicle was spared unharmed, while the gunmen fled immediately after the attack.
The late Fr. Eya, a native of Ugbaike in Enugu Ezike, Igbo-Eze North Local Government Area, was described by parishioners as a devoted priest committed to his calling.
As of press time, both the Enugu State Police Command and the Catholic Diocese of Nsukka had yet to issue official statements regarding the killing.
