Reported by: Ijeoma G | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
The Adamawa State Police Command has launched a full-scale investigation into the brutal killing of Reverend Emmanuel Ezeokwe, an Anglican priest who was shot dead inside his vicarage during a midnight attack on the Zinai community in Song Local Government Area. The assailants, believed to be armed bandits, struck the vicarage of the Anglican Church at about 12:48 a.m. on Tuesday, April 21, 2026, firing at close range and killing the cleric on the spot. Police spokesperson SP Suleiman Yahaya Nguroje confirmed the incident in a statement on Wednesday, adding that three empty shells of an AK-47 rifle were recovered at the scene and that the victim's body had been deposited in a hospital morgue for autopsy.
According to the police, the Command received a distress call from a resident, Amos Sunday, at about 6:30 a.m. on the day of the attack. Officers who responded to the call found the lifeless body of the clergyman and rushed him to a hospital, where a medical doctor confirmed him dead. Preliminary findings indicated that the gunmen, believed to be about six in number, had invaded the quiet farming community in the early hours and specifically targeted the vicar. The authorities have not confirmed whether the attackers were bandits, terrorists, or armed robbers, but the nature of the attack, which occurred inside a church residence, has heightened concerns about the safety of religious leaders in rural parts of the north-eastern state.
The Anglican Diocese of Yola confirmed the killing in a separate statement, identifying the deceased as the Vicar of St Mary's Anglican Church, Zinai, in the Cathedral Archdeaconry. The Administrative Officer to the Bishop, Venerable Andrew Izuakor, described the incident as a painful loss and called on the Christian community and members of the public to pray for the immediate family, the Zinai congregation, and the diocese. "We ask for prayers for the immediate family, Zinai Church, the Archdeaconry and the Diocese of Yola during this tragic moment," the church administrator said.
The killing of Reverend Ezeokwe has added to a growing list of violent incidents in Adamawa State, particularly in rural communities near the Sambisa Forest axis. In February 2026, at least 25 people were killed in coordinated attacks on villages in Madagali and Hong local government areas, with gunmen also burning homes and displacing residents. Reports indicated that the attackers, some of whom arrived on motorcycles and in military-style clothing, struck multiple locations, including a military base. Human rights groups have documented repeated assaults in the Madagali area since late 2025, with communities near the Cameroon border described as particularly vulnerable due to difficult terrain and delayed military response.
The region lies close to the Sambisa Forest, a long-standing operational base for insurgent groups such as Boko Haram and the Islamic State West Africa Province, which have carried out attacks in the North-east for over a decade. The attack on a cleric within a residence has also raised concerns about the vulnerability of religious leaders in conflict‑prone areas. Security analysts say the persistence of such attacks, particularly in remote communities, points to gaps in rural policing, intelligence gathering, and rapid-response capabilities.
In response to the killing, the Commissioner of Police, CP Kabir Umar Hassan, has ordered the Deputy Commissioner of Police in charge of the State Criminal Investigation Department to conduct a discreet investigation and deployed tactical teams to track down the perpetrators and bring them to justice. The Command has urged members of the public to remain calm and cooperate with the police by providing useful information that may aid the ongoing investigation. "Further developments will be communicated as the investigation progresses," the police spokesperson said.
The attack on the vicarage once again underscores the persistent threat posed by armed attackers operating across parts of the state, leaving residents and religious communities in a state of heightened fear. For the family of Reverend Emmanuel Ezeokwe and the Anglican Diocese of Yola, the pain of losing a shepherd inside his own home is a stark reminder of the deep-seated insecurity that continues to plague Nigeria's rural north-east.
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