Ukwulu Community Mourns

…as a Martyr of the Blessed Sacrament goes Home

By Rev Fr Pio-Anthony Okafor

Sunday, October 4, 2020 was a historic day in Ukwulu Community as  on that fateful day of the transfer of Rev. Fr. Francis Emeka Anene to St. Theresa’s Parish Ukwulu, a group of hoodlums attacked the parish during the 9 am Mass.

The incident took place during the 1st reading. The liturgy was disrupted as a group of armed men searched for one Sir Fidelis Ifeanyi Uzodigwe (The Vigilante Chairman of the community).

Fides discovered that the leader of the hoodlums was killed in May 2022 and as a result, the chairman of Ukwulu Vigilante was targeted for assassination which ended in kidnapping on Sunday 29th May, 2022 and was later released after paying the ransom.

According to reports, relative peace returned to Ukwulu until mid November 2022. A message was sent to the Vigilante Chairman that a group was paid to assassinate him. He thought it was just a mere threat as he quietly tried to understand what was going on, only for them to strike on the 20th November, 2022 during the Corpus Christi procession of St. Theresa’s Parish Ukwulu.

When Sir Fidelis heard the gunshot, he knew it was his hour and tried to escape but was mown down together with the unfortunate girl, Miss Veronica Elozonachukwu Nwankwo, by the men of the underworld. She died instantly as her head and brains burst open.

On February 3, 2023, the heroine of the Eucharistic Sacrament, Miss Veronica Elozona Nwankwo, who hailed from Adagbe Village, Ukwulu, was buried.

She was the last child of the four children of Mrs. Nwankwo Agatha

During the homily, the Catholic Bishop of Awka Diocese Most Rev P.C Ezeokafor reminded all of how one of the thieves who died with Christ made heaven [Lk.23:33,39-43] He admonished all to be weary of him who can destroy our body and soul. In the case of the slain girl her body was destroyed but her soul is safe in God’s hand.