Brother Godwin Eze, one of three Benedictine monks kidnapped by an armed gang on the night of 17 October from the Eruku Monastery in North Central Nigeria, has been killed by his captors.
The other two abducted postulants, Anthony Eze and Peter Olarewaj, were freed on 21 October. Brother Godwin Eze was killed soon after being taken by the gunmen.
According to the two freed postulants, a large group of armed men, described as a gang of Fulani herdsmen, attacked the Monastery’s novitiate dormitory around 1 am on 17 October. About 10 novices and postulants were in the building, sleeping.
Three were captured and forced to walk barefoot into a forest. Upon reaching the bank of a river, the bandits shot Brother Godwin and threw his body into the water. The bandits then threatened the two postulants with machetes.