A Catholic priest, Rev. Fr. Raymond Njoku, was sh0t and seriously injûred by gûnmen on Christmas Eve in Ogbaku, Mbaitoli Local Government Area of Imo State. The assailants, reportedly operating in a Lexus RX 350 SUV, are suspected to be k!dnappers.
A source in the Owerri Archdiocesan Presbyterium told Vanguard that Fr. Njoku, an Assistant Parish Priest of St. Kevin’s Catholic Church, Igbaku, was returning home around 8:00 pm when the attáck occurred, unaware of an earlier failed k!dnapping attempt by the same gang.
The source explained: “This year’s Christmas Eve almost turned sour as a gang of cr!minals stormed Ogbaku community. They were operating in a Lexus RX 350 and had attempted to k!dnap someone earlier, but the victim escáped. Soon after, Fr. Njoku, on his way home, drove past the scene. The hoodlums pursued him. At the church gate, they sounded their horn; Fr. Njoku, thinking it was his Parish Priest, tried to make way, which turned out to be his undoing. The gunmen alighted and started sh0oting at him. His vehicle was riddled with bullets, but by God’s grace, none hit any vital organ. His right hand was !njured. He feigned déath, and the gunmen fled.”
The source added that sympathizers quickly rushed Fr. Njoku to a nearby private hospital, where he received urgent medical attention.
When contacted, the Catholic Archbishop of Owerri, Most Rev. Lucius Iwejuru Ugorji, confirmed the incident, stating that an emergency surgery had been performed on the priest. “We thank God that he survived the déadly attáck. He is doing well, as we speak,” he said.
Although the Imo State Police Command’s Public Relations Officer, Mr. Henry Okoye, said details of the incident remain sketchy, he confirmed that the Divisional Police Officer in charge had visited the cr!me scene and investigations are ongoing.
The attáck has heightened concerns over security in Imo State, especially amid the festive season, as residents continue to grapple with the rising thréat of ármed r0bbery and k!dnapping.
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