Gunmen killed of one of the three monks who were abducted from a monastery in Kwara

Gunmen have taken the life of one of the monks who were previously abducted from the Benedictine monastery in Eruku, Kwara State.

Reports indicate that on the night of October 17, 2023, armed assailants infiltrated the monastery and seized Brother Godwin Eze, a novice monk, along with two postulants, Anthony Mary Eze (pictured) and Peter Olarewanju.

In an official statement released through a Catholic news publication, ACI Africa, on Tuesday, October 24, the administrator of the Catholic Diocese of Ilorin, Fr. Anselm Pendo Lawani, confirmed the tragic news that Brother Godwin Eze had been brutally slain, and his lifeless body was discarded into a river.

Previously, the diocese had announced the release of Anthony Eze and Olarewaju and had requested prayers for Brother Godwin Eze, a novice at the monastery.

The statement expressed gratitude: “This is to thank all and sundry for your collective prayers over the past several days for the safe release of our brothers, Brother Anthony Eze and Brother Peter Olarewaju. We thank God for answering our prayers.”

Nevertheless, it was overshadowed by the sorrowful news of Brother Godwin Eze’s brutal murder at the hands of the kidnappers: “However, we are saddened by the news of the gruesome murder of the third brother, Godwin Eze, in the hands of the kidnappers. May God grant eternal rest to his soul, consolation to his immediate family members and to all of us who are left to mourn his passing.”

Father Joseph Ekesioba, a former novice director at the monastery, recounted the horrifying events, stating that Brother Godwin Eze was shot by Fulani bandits a day after the initial abduction. “I have been sharing with one of our brothers who was released, and he said that Godwin was shot on Wednesday [Oct. 18] at night. The abductors took our three brothers to the bank of a river and shot Brother Godwin. They then threw his lifeless body into the river,” he shared.

Ekesioba added, “After killing Godwin, the kidnappers led brothers Peter and Anthony to the forest where they had been hiding them and continued to threaten them, telling them that they too would be killed. Luckily, the two were set free on Saturday evening, October 21.”

The monastery is now making efforts to recover Brother Godwin Eze’s remains from the river.

Ekesioba disclosed that the monastery had been compelled to implement extensive security measures in the aftermath of the October 17 kidnapping: “We have had to relocate our brothers to a safer place since we continue to receive threats of attacks.”