Enugu Catholic Priest Shot De@d While Returning to Parish, Government Offers ₦10m Bounty

Rev. Fr. Matthew Eya, parish priest of St. Charles Catholic Church in Nsukka Diocese, was shot dead by gunmen along the Eha-Alumona–Eha-Ndiagu road on Friday evening.

A Nigerian Catholic priest, Rev. Fr. Matthew Eya, was brutally assassinated by unidentified gunmen while returning to his parish on Friday evening.

Fr. Eya, parish priest of St. Charles Catholic Church in the Diocese of Nsukka, Enugu State, was driving along the Eha-Alumona–Eha-Ndiagu road when gunmen on a motorcycle intercepted his vehicle and opened fire, killing him instantly.

Confirming the incident, the Chancellor of the Diocese of Nsukka, Fr. Cajetan Iyidobi, expressed deep grief in a statement:

“Shocked to the marrow, it is with crushing pain and sorrow, yet a total submission to the will of the Almighty God… that I inform you of the tragic death of yet another brother of ours, Rev. Fr. Matthew Eya. He was shot dead yesterday, 19 September 2025… May his soul rest in peace. Amen.”

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The killing adds to the growing wave of violence targeting Christians in Nigeria. Since 2000, about 62,000 Christian civilians have been murdered in jihadist-related attacks. Open Doors ranked Nigeria the most dangerous country for Christians in 2024, with 3,100 killed and 2,830 kidnapped.

The Enugu State Government has placed a ₦10 million bounty on the killers, urging anyone with credible information to come forward.