Angry 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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