Tears flowed freely as the remains of three victims of gunmen attack at the Immaculate Conception Catholic Parish, Nkwagu Abakaliki, Ebonyi State, were laid to rest, weekend, at their respective family compounds.

The attack which occurred as the vigil mass was midway in the night of December 24, last year, claimed the lives three parishioners of the church.

Daily Sun reported that the assailants invaded the church as the Parish Priest, Rev. Fr. JohnPaul Eselu was conducting the Holy Mass, killing the choirmaster of the parish, Cyril Mbam, Emmanuel Aloh and Ebuka Nwifuru while many others were injured.

It was gathered that the attackers who targeted Mbam had invited him out of the church building and shot him dead. Then, Aloh and Nwifuru, both security guards in the Catholic Church known as Men of Order and Discipline (MOD) attached to the parish, attempted to stop the assailants from escaping through the church gate and were shot in the process. The killings were the first in the history of the parish and the entire State.

Bishop of Abakaliki Diocese, Most Rev. Nworie Chukwu described the incident as sad and disheartening and prayed for the repose of the souls of the victims. He urged the faithful to pray for unity and progress of Ebonyi State and Nigeria.

Their bodies were interred in their various family compounds after a burial mass conducted by the bishop at the Nkwagu parish.

An obituary by the church read: “Our holy martyrs shall live forever.”

Mbam was said to have been married with children while the other two young men were single.

Meanwhile, the remote cause of the attack was yet to be identified just as the police had not announced arrest of those behind it. (Sunday Sun)

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