Who killed Rev.
Fr. Francis Chidiebele Okoye, a Catholic priest attached to St Mary’s
Catholic Church, in Afikpo, Ebonyi State? And why was he killed?
These
are some of the questions agitating the minds of the parishioners and
general public, even as the anniversary of the gruesome murder of the
priest holds on July 31.
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.
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