Hundreds of Clergymen Mourn Slain Priest at Murder Scene in Nsukka
It was a day of grief and solemn reflection on Thursday as hundreds of priests and lay faithful of the Catholic Diocese of Nsukka gathered at the exact spot where Rev. Fr. Matthew Eya was brutally murdered by yet-to-be-identified gunmen.
Fr. Eya was shot dead while returning to his parish at Eha-Ndiagu in Eha-Alumonah, Nsukka Local Government Area of Enugu State, an incident that has drawn widespread condemnation within and beyond the state.
Led by the Vicar General of the Diocese, Very Rev. Fr. Dr. Amuluche Greg Nnamani, the entire presbyterium embarked on a prayerful procession lasting over an hour, culminating at the site of the tragic killing. Their arrival was met with an outpouring of emotions as men, women, and children wailed in anguish over the young priest’s untimely death.
Speaking on behalf of the Bishop of Nsukka, Most Rev. Godfrey Igwebuike Onah, Fr. Nnamani said the gathering was to “plead with God” and express their pain. “We welcome everyone to the place where our brother and priest left the world. We are here to tell God how we feel, to pray for his happy repose, and for God’s protection and intervention upon us,” he stated.
In a moving homily, Rev. Fr. Vitus Ugwu lamented the rising number of priests who had died in the diocese this year, likening the Bishop’s ordeal to the biblical suffering of Job. Reflecting on Fr. Eya’s final moments, he recalled that the young priest had earlier visited the diocesan secretariat to collect testimonials for his students before falling victim to the attack. “A young priest, full of dreams for God’s people, taken by bullets. We have been served a cup full of tears,” he said, while urging the faithful to hold fast to their faith despite the tragedy.
The Enugu State Police Command has since announced the arrest of 38 suspects in connection with the attack, as investigations into the priest’s murder continue.
