5th January, 2012
A Catholic priest at St. Peter’s Catholic Church, Ejigbo Lagos State, Southwest Nigeria, Rev. Father Gabriel Ihenacho, narrowly escaped death yesterday morning after a man suspected to be a hired assassin was apprehended in the church premises.
He hid charms and dangerous weapons and covered it with the cassock priest’s garment he wore and was heading towards the father’s apartment before he was caught.
The incident happened at about 7.30 a.m. after the morning mass.
The man simply identified as Ndu confessed that he was sent from Enugu State to the church to kill the priest popularly known as Father Sharp Sharp by the parishioners.
The middle aged man reportedly sneaked into the church and pretended that he was a reverend father and attempted to gain entrance into the priest’s residence before he was held by vigilant security men.
When he was searched, charms and dangerous weapons were found hidden in the priest’s garment he wore. When he was interrogated, he confessed that he was sent from Enugu State by an unidentified sponsor to kill Father Ihenacho.
The shocked Reverend Father immediately contacted the police at Police Headquarters, Ikeja, Lagos and the suspect was arrested and taken away with all the weapons and charms he had on him.
When P. M. NEWS visited the church, one of the two entrance gates was locked while the remaining gate was left open with tight security.
Parishioners trooped in to see the suspect before the police took him away. They gathered in groups discussing the incident.
An attempt to speak with Rev. Ihenacho failed because he was said to have left the premises to an undisclosed place after the incident.
Worshippers told P.M.NEWS that several attempts had been made on the life of the priest in the past, but they always failed.
They lamented and wondered why people should go after the priest, saying that since he was transferred to the parish he has positively affected the lives of the people within and outside Lagos State who come for prayers.
—Cyriacus Izuekwe