Cynthia Ezegwu
The Enugu State Police Command says it has arrested 38 suspects in connection with the killing of Rev. Fr. Mathew Eya, a Catholic priest of the Nsukka Diocese.
Fr. Eya, who served as the parish priest of St. Charles Catholic Church, Eha-Ndiagu, was shot dead on Friday, September 19, along the Eha-Ndiagu–Eha-Etiti Road in Eha-Alumona community, Nsukka Local Government Area, by armed men suspected to be herdsmen.
In a statement issued on Sunday, the State Commissioner of Police, Bitrus Giwa, through the Command’s spokesperson, Daniel Ndukwe, vowed that security operatives would leave no stone unturned in fishing out the killers and ensuring justice.
“We suspect that the assailants are still in the area, and we are determined to fish them out,” Giwa said, while commiserating with the priest’s family and the Catholic Church.
READ ALSO: Gunmen Kill Police Divisional Crime Officer in Niger
According to the statement, police operatives have launched raids on criminal hideouts and conducted bush combing operations in the affected communities, leading to the arrest of 38 suspects and the recovery of incriminating exhibits.
Ndukwe added that the suspects are currently undergoing profiling and interrogation to identify those directly responsible for the murder.
“The command will ensure that justice is served, and the perpetrators of this heinous crime are brought to book,” he assured.