Youths Stab Catholic Priest,
Beat Him To A State Of Coma In
Anambra
Irate Youths said to be Idol worshipers,
yesterday attacked a Priest, Rev. Father
Fidelis Ifeanyichukwu Ugozo of the St.
Raphael’s Catholic Church in Ugbenu,
Awka North Local Government Area of
Anambra State, beating him to a state
of coma and then stabbing him in the
face and other parts of his body.
According to residents of the
community, the priest and some of his
followers were carrying out the ‘Blessed
Sacrament’ procession around some of
the villages when they were stopped by
one of the youth leader in Obubo
village in Ugbenu town, Gabriel
Ikegbunam, who felt the clergy man
and his followers who were also
performing their monthly rosary
procession, were out to burn down their
deity.
“Mr. Ikegbunem insisted that they will
not enter his village named Obubo and
when they overpowered him, he started
making contacts, calling some youths
from the village to attack the priest and
others who were mainly women and
children”he told ABS news
The Catholic priest after the attack was
rushed to an undisclosed hospital in
Ebenebe but due to his comatose state,
he was transferred to St. Joseph’s
hospital, Adazi Ani by the Ebenebe
Deanery Chaplain.
A former catechist at St. Raphael’s
parish Ugbenu, Cletus Nwankwo, said
Obubo village is known in Ugbenu town
for adulterous acts, adding that the
youths suspected that the Rosary
procession was aimed at destroying
their deity shrine.
“They moved from Agueke village to
Obiagu and decided to branch at Obubo
before Ikegbunam blocked them and in
the process, he called some of them and
told them that Catholics are coming to
burn their shrine. Soon the youths
trooped out, wielding dangerous
weapons such as axe, gun and
machetes. They grabbed the Blessed
Sacrament from our Parish Priest, hit it
on the floor and used the Monstrance to
hit our Parish priest on his hand before
stabbing him on the face and other
parts of the body” he said.
The Traditional ruler of Ugbenu town,
Igwe Lawrence Egwuonu, whose wife,
Lolo Egwuonwu was also battered by
the youths, said that Gabriel
Ikegbunam, Israel Egwu and two others
stormed his palace before the incident
occurred to complain that their shrine
and other sacred symbols were burnt
by Christians.
“After investigation I discovered that
they were all liars. None of their
shrines were burnt and I can defend it
anywhere. It was Ikegbunam that
incited others to attack the priest and
other Christians. There greatest mistake
was touching the priest and destroying
the Blessed Sacrament. It is a sacrilege
and they will pay for it,” he said.
Two of the rampaging youths Anthony
Anigbogu and Humphrey Ekwenye,
have been arrested and are currently in
the custody of the State CID, Awka,
while other accomplices are still at
large.
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