An assistant parish priest of Saint Kelvin Catholic Church, Ogbaku, in Owerri West Local Government Area of Imo State, was shot by gunmen on Christmas Day.
The priest, whose identity had not been officially confirmed as of press time, was reportedly hit at about 8am while approaching the church gate for the morning Mass.
A source, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the priest sustained a gunshot wound on his right hand, adding that no suspect was seen at the scene.
The source explained that the assailants were believed to have fired from a concealed and distant location, making it difficult to immediately identify those responsible.
The priest was rushed to an undisclosed hospital, where he was said to be receiving treatment, while prayers were ongoing for his recovery.
The source narrated the incident thus: “The shooting happened on Christmas day when everyone was in a joyous mood.
“The priest was trying to enter the gate for the morning mass but we just heard a sound and the next thing, he was in pains that he had been shot.
“Probably it was a stray bullet from somewhere close by but the twist was that nobody saw who fired the shot. Meanwhile, the priest is receiving treatment for gunshot wounds in the hospital and prayers are going on for his survival.”
Confirming the incident, the Police Public Relations Officer of the Imo State Command, DSP Henry Okoye, said the shooting had not yet been formally reported to the police.
He said: “Yes, I’m aware of the incident though the church is yet to officially report the shooting. However, the Divisional Police Officer for Owerri West has visited the church to verify the claims. He has also requested to see the priest to aid the investigation.”
The Catholic Archbishop of Owerri Archdiocese, Most Rev. Lucius Ugorji, also confirmed the incident but said the identity of the attackers was still unknown.
He said investigations were ongoing to determine the circumstances surrounding the shooting.