He continues, “They rather told the boys that if they wish to join the program they have to get their tag, but the two boys bluntly refused to do so saying that they are the owners of the territory with some cultic slang like ‘we are JBC’ which only they know the meaning. So the men at the gate who are BRCBG members refused to let them in.”
Br. Chidera says that the self-acclaimed cultic boys left the gate and returned at around “11:30 pm to 12 am with more boys (about 10 or 12 of them) and started banging on the gate” asking the brigadiers to forcefully give them entry.
When they realized that the brigadiers were not ready to let them in, Br. Chidera says that the boys broke down the gate and “invaded them with some weapons like a dagger, plank, 2b2 wood and so on, trying to enter inside the church where the BRC children were praying.”
“It was at this critical moment that the young Isaiah and other BRCBG members had to risk their own lives without arms in defense of the children praying inside the church,” the President of BRC in Nsukka Diocese says.
He goes on to explain, “Some of the brigadiers who risked their lives to protect the children were severely injured; some were stabbed but Isaiah who was there as the commander took all he had to protect his people and as he was fatally injured, he persisted in the battle in pain until he ensured that those intruders had dismissed from the premises at the sight of the Parish Priest.”
As wounded Isaiah could no longer bear the internal injuries he had sustained, Br. Chidera continues, “he was rushed to Bishop Shanahan hospital Enugu Ezike but was referred to Nsukka; from Nsukka he was further referred to the University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital, (UNTH) and on their way to Enugu, Isaiah, who would have loved to be alive to tell this story, left us an example to follow.”
He eulogizes the deceased, saying, “Isaiah who was a strong member of Altar boys from Immaculate Heart Parish Aji, was a devoted member of BRC and one of the organizers of Block Rosary in Aji Deanery of Nsukka Catholic Diocese.”
A source told local media that no arrests have been made in relation to the “ugly incident” that happened on the night of December 14.
“No suspect has been arrested since the ugly incident occurred. That’s why we are calling on the Inspector General of police and other relevant agencies to expedite action and see that the deceased, late Mr. Isaiah Agbo gets justice in this unfortunate incident,” the source has been quoted as telling Within Nigeria, a Nigerian media entity.
Silas Mwale Isenjia is a Kenyan journalist with a great zeal and interest for Catholic Church related communication. He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Linguistics, Media and Communication from Moi University in Kenya. Silas has vast experience in the Media production industry. He currently works as a Journalist for ACI Africa.
