786
By Oscar Okhifo
The Catholic Diocese of Nsukka has announced the killing of Rev. Fr. Matthew Eya, parish priest of St. Charles Catholic Church, Eha-Ndiagu, in Nsukka Local Government Area of Enugu State.
The announcement was made on Saturday, September 20, 2025. Although, the tragic incident occurred on Friday evening, September 19, along the Eha-Alumona–Eha-Ndiagu Road while the priest was returning from Enugu.
Eyewitnesses said gunmen riding on motorbikes shot at the tyres of his vehicle to force it to a halt before opening fire on him at close range.
Fr. Eya, who hailed from Ugbaike, Enugu Ezike, in Igbo-Eze North Local Government Area, was left with multiple gunshot wounds and died on the spot.
Although the motive of the killing remains unclear, local accounts suggest it may have been a failed kidnapping attempt or a targeted assassination, as the assailants did not take anything from the scene.
Confirming the development, the Chancellor of Nsukka Diocese, Rev. Fr. Cajetan Iyidobi, described the killing as “devastating anguish” for the Church and the community. He urged parishioners and residents to remain prayerful and hopeful despite the tragedy.
The Enugu State Police Command is yet to release a formal statement on the incident, but security operatives have reportedly launched an investigation.
The killing of priests has become increasingly common in the Southeast and in Edo North in South-South Nigeria, raising concerns about why Catholic missionaries appear to be recurring targets.
Many priests live in remote, vulnerable communities, travel without security escorts, and serve directly among the people, making them easy prey for violent groups.
The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria (CBCN) has consistently raised alarm over the menace.
At their plenary meeting in 2023, the bishops lamented that “the Nigerian church is threatened by the plague of kidnappings in the country. Kidnapping for ransom is continuing unabated, and Catholic priests are frequently the victims, being seen as soft targets.”
Archbishop Ignatius Kaigama of Abuja also condemned the trend, stressing that the kidnappings of Catholic priests and others in Nigeria must end.
Bishop Matthew Ndagoso of Kaduna warned that insecurity has left both clergy and laypeople traumatized, saying everybody is on edge. “People are afraid, and rightly so. With this situation, nobody is safe anywhere. If you go out of your house, even in the daytime, until you come back, you are not safe.”
Fr. Michael Umoh, Director of Communications at the Catholic Secretariat of Nigeria, added that kidnappers increasingly see priests as sources of ransom, calling on government to act before the Church is further weakened.
In a more scathing criticism, Bishop Gabriel Dunia of the Auchi Diocese questioned the government’s priorities. He said, “Why is there no political will to clampdown on the few that have vowed to keep troubling the majority? Did you not see the raw energy that the federal government used on Rivers State that is not endangered or witnessing killings? They ignore our daily cry for help and faced Rivers. This is shameful.”
He urged the federal and state governments to sit up.
“Kidnappings and killings of Nigerians should stop. It can be done. Except they want us to believe that the terrorists are stronger than the Nigerian state,” he said.
Shaken Nigerians now fear that the Southeast is sliding into a killing field, where defenseless citizens are daily exposed to the cruelty of gunmen operating without restraint.
Though some communities have demanded the right to defend themselves, government insists it cannot allow such measures. With ordinary people barred from bearing arms, many argue it is the constitutional responsibility of the state to rise up with the full weight of its power to shield the innocent and restore order.
Security analysts warn that criminals have practically seized the upper hand, wielding firepower unchecked while state actors look on. They stress that the monopoly of force belongs to government, and if it fails to reassert control, the country risks descending into complete lawlessness.
The bishops are even more blunt: Nigeria, they say, is tottering at the brink of collapse. Unless urgent steps are taken, the insecurity tearing through communities could consume the nation itself.
For the Catholic faithful, the murder of Fr. Eya has reopened old wounds and deepened a climate of fear, leaving many to question if priests must continue to pay the ultimate price for serving their people.
His blood, shed on the road he once travelled in service, is now a stark reminder that the Nigerian state is failing in its most basic duty: to protect life. The government can no longer look away. The time for decisive action is now.