The remains of Rev. Fr. Tobias Okonkwo, a priest of the Catholic Diocese of Nnewi in Anambra, who was murdered on December 26 by unidentified gunmen, have been laid to rest amid tears.
He was buried on Thursday at Our Lady of Assumption Cathedral in Nnewi following a requiem mass at the cathedral.
Okonkwo, a pharmacist, was tragically killed by his assailants as he was leaving the premises of the School of Nursing, Midwifery, and Medical Laboratory Sciences at Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital in Ihiala, where he served as a manager.
In his homily, the Vicar-General of the Catholic Diocese of Nnewi, Monsignor Anichebe Ezeobata, noted that Okonkwo, who died in the prime of his life, had made significant contributions during his short time.
The Vicar-General further remarked that the priest had led a meaningful pastoral life since his ordination in July 2015.
He explained that the deceased completed his internship as a pharmacist in October 2024 and was subsequently appointed as manager of the School of Nursing, Midwifery, and Medical Laboratory Sciences at Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital in Ihiala.
The cleric lamented that Okonkwo had only been in office for two months before his untimely death.
Dignitaries who attended the burial mass included the 2023 Presidential Candidate of the Labour Party, Mr Peter Obi, and the former Commissioner for Economic Planning and Budget in Anambra State, Prof. Stella Chinyere Okunna, among others.
(NAN)
