Fr. Okoye was slaughtered like a
sacrificial lamb in the premises of the Church on July 31, 2006. The priest,
who hailed from Enugwu Ukwu, in Njikoka Local Government Area of Anambra State
and shared an apartment within the Church premises with a fellow priest, was
dragged out of his bedroom by his assailants, who took him to the back of the
building and slashed his throat.
A source said he was decapitated.
“It was a shocking act of violence. It was a gory sight. There was no doubt
that Father Chidiebele’s attackers came with the intention of killing him
outright. They butchered an innocent man like an animal. He was almost
beheaded. This is the height of wickedness and man’s inhumanity to man,” one of
the members of the church stated.
Seven years after, the killers are
still walking free, as no arrest had been made in respect of the crime. It was
gathered that Fr. Okoye’s murder might not be unconnected with his profound
preaching against cultism, political thuggery and corrupt practices, among
other social ills.
“He was a thorn in the flesh of evil
people in Afikpo. On and off the pulpit, he preached against the unhealthy
moral temperature of society. Some politicians, in particular, were unsettled
by his ways because he warned them against encouraging young people to be
cultists and political thugs. Perhaps, that was why they silenced him
permanently,” a parishioner, who simply identified herself as Ugochi said.
It was further gathered that as
torrents of tears flowed across the community that day, a heavy downpour washed
away the blood of the slain priest. It was one of the heaviest rains ever
witnessed in the community.
It was gathered that at the time
Father Okoye was being attacked, his neighbour was in the next room. While the
former was shouting for help, the later was allegedly praying.
In an exclusive chat in his
residence, Mr. Francis Ibe Inyanwachi, head master of St. Mary’s
Nursery/Primary School, Afikpo, disclosed that when the reverend father was
asked what he did when his colleague was being attacked, he said that he was
praying.
“The priest said that he was praying
when Father Chidiebele was shouting and calling on him. He said that he knelt
down to pray. That was what he told us. Since I was not there, I don’t know
what happened but I know that they killed him behind the house because we saw
the blood on the ground in the morning,” he said.
Offering insight on the barbarous
treatment meted on the priest, Mr. Inyanwachi, who described the deceased as a
family friend, said: “After Reverend Father Chidiebele’s ordination, he was
posted to Afikpo as assistant priest, to come and help another reverend father.
I think normally after one year, they (assistant priests) are usually posted
out. So, when his mates were posted out, he was so good I think the reverend
father asked the bishop that he (Father Chidiebele) should continue.”
“He was so outspoken that he
condemned everything that was bad or evil. I think that day he was killed, he
had gone from house to house, cautioning some group of students whom I learnt
were cultists. He was trying to tell them to come back, that cultism was not
good. They said when he came back, he did not even eat. Then he went to Mgbom
(a neighbouring village), where one of them asked him to preach to him.
Thereafter, he returned to his apartment at the church. I suspect that his
attackers were cultists, who didn’t want their members to be retrieved from
cultism.”
Inyanwachi, whose son is also a
Catholic priest, added: “The room of the other reverend father was before his
own room. I don’t know how they managed to know his room. They came into his
room and brought him out from where he was sleeping. He was shouting: Father!
Father!! Father!!! They brought him out and cut his throat or so. I think he
died while they were rushing him to the hospital.
“That day, I didn’t initially know
what happened; it was my daughter who went to Mass at St Patrick’s (at Ndibe)
that informed me. They said the Catechist announced that armed robbers attacked
Father Chidiebele and that they should be praying for him. On her way to the
hospital, she heard that he had died. So, when I was coming back from Mass at
St. Patrick’s, I saw the girl, crying. I asked what was wrong and she said they
had killed Father Chidiebele. That was all. He was a young man.
“On the day his corpse was buried,
it was brought here before being taken to his home town. It was announced that
his people said they would retaliate on anybody, coming from Afikpo. I insisted
that I must go. It was only the priest, my daughter and I that went there. We
had to stay with the family. There were seats kept for the people of Afikpo in
the Church but I alone couldn’t have gone to sit there. I went and consoled the
mother. In fact, his mother was sitting in the front row and I went and touched
her. After the Mass, we took his remains to St. Theresa’s Cathedral, Abakaliki,
where he was buried. I’ve gone several times to see his family. He was very
fond of coming to my house but he was a priest for the whole parish. He was a
special friend of this house.”
Effort to speak with the Reverened
father, who occupied an apartment next to the late Fr. Chidiebele’s the day he
was killed, proved abortive. Our reporter called him several times on telephone
but he refused to speak on the matter.
Police sources, which craved
anonymity confirmed the incident but said no arrest had been made since it
happened on July 31, 2006.
“You know, it is a murder case; so,
it remains open. We are still working on it,” said the source at the Ebonyi
State Police Command, Abakaliki.
 |
| To like us on facebook |
www.burgatehosting.com
No comments:
Post a Comment