Armed men attacked a village in Ogbaku, Owerri West Local Government Area of Imo State, killing a Catholic priest on Christmas Day.
The incident occurred when the priest was approaching the church gate for the morning mass.
It was learnt the attack happened at a time when residents were in a festive and joyous mood.
The unidentified priest was shot at about 8:00 a.m. while preparing to officiate the Christmas service.
The priest was reportedly hit in the right hand, and the assailant was not seen at the scene.
According to source, the gunmen fired from a concealed and distant position, making it difficult for anyone in the area to identify the attacker.
“The priest was said to have been rushed to an undisclosed hospital, where he is currently receiving medical care. Prayers are reportedly ongoing for his recovery.
“Probably it was a stray bullet from somewhere close by but the twist was that nobody saw who fired the shot,” the source stated.
Confirming the incident, the Police Public Relations Officer of the Imo State Command, Henry Okoye, said the matter had not yet been formally reported to the police.
He noted that although the church is yet to make an official report, the Divisional Police Officer in charge of Owerri West has visited the church to verify the claims and requested to see the priest as part of the investigation.
Okoye added that investigations are ongoing to ascertain the circumstances surrounding the incident.
