By Brenda Chidinma Imo-Eze
Tragedy unfolded on Sunday night at Immaculate Conception Catholic Church in Nkweagu, Abakaliki, Ebonyi State, as unidentified gunmen invaded a Christmas Eve vigil, leaving 3 parishioners dead.
The assailants, who struck during the vigil Mass celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ, fatally shot an Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) staff among the worshippers. As they fled, they also killed two church guards, members of the “Man of Order and Discipline” (MOD) group, who sought to check their entry.
Rev Fr Mathew Opoke, Chancellor of the Catholic Diocese in Abakaliki, confirmed the incident, revealing that Father John Paul Eselu, in charge of the parish, reported the grim news around 1:00 am. The armed robbers abandoned their tricycle, loaded with AK-49 guns, after the attack.
In his Christmas Mass at St Thomas Chapel Mile 50 Abakaliki, Rev Fr Opoke urged vigilance and encouraged worshippers to embrace the true spirit of the season, emphasizing the need to be cautious of potential threats.
Efforts to obtain comments from the state Commissioner of Police, Augustina Ogbodo, were unsuccessful at the time of this report. The community mourns the loss of lives in this tragic incident on a night meant for joy and celebration.