The Enugu State Police Command has apprehended 38 individuals reportedly linked to the assassination of Rev. Fr. Mathew Eya, a Catholic priest of the Nsukka Diocese.
The arrests came after a police manhunt for the armed men responsible for the killing, which occurred along the Eha-Ndiagu–Eha-Etiti Road in Eha-Alumona community, Nsukka Local Government Area, on September 19, 2025.
Fr. Eya, parish priest of St. Charles Catholic Church in Eha-Ndiagu, was shot dead on Friday while returning to his parish from Enugu. The attack is believed to have been carried out by suspected Fulani herdsmen who have been terrorizing the area.
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In a statement on Sunday, the State Commissioner of Police, Bitrus Giwa, through the Command’s spokesperson, Daniel Ndukwe, assured that the police are committed to bringing the perpetrators to justice.
“We suspect that the assailants are still in the area, and we are determined to fish them out,” Giwa said, while expressing condolences to the deceased priest’s family and the Catholic Church.
The statement added that police operatives have been deployed to raid criminal hideouts and conduct bush combing exercises in the area, leading to the arrest of the 38 suspects and the recovery of incriminating evidence.
“We have arrested 38 suspects, and they are currently undergoing screening. We will ensure that justice is served, and the perpetrators of this heinous crime are brought to book,” Ndukwe said.
The police command noted that the suspects are believed to be connected to the murder, and investigations are ongoing to identify the actual perpetrators.
