An 80-year-old German missionary, Rev. Sr. Marcelina Alfra, popularly referred to as Regina Mundi, was attacked and killed by unknown gunmen in Ogwashi-Uku, in Aniocha South Local Government Area of Delta State.

The German-born nun, who had lived for over 50 years in Ogwashi-Uku and carried out philanthropic and humanitarian works, was reportedly attacked in her Ogwashi-Uku residence by the hoodlums, who invaded her room through the roof and slashed her with machetes in the head.

She was rushed to the University of Benin Teaching Hospital where she died.

Addressing a press conference, the Obi of Ogwashi-Uku condemned the act, lamenting that “some dissidents” in the community were behind the violence and killings that have engulfed the once peaceful community since his installation as the traditional ruler.

He said: “It was last Thursday, after I had performed the traditional rite of eating the roasted new yam to signal the New Yam Festival, that the news came that unidentified gunmen went into the room of a German reverend sister, who had lived here for a long time. She resisted and they inflicted  machete cuts to her head. She was taken to UBTH where she died shortly. We have just been informed that another person died in the attack,” Obi Okonjo narrated.

He told journalists that ‘the dissidents’ had orchestrated an atmosphere of violence during the annual Ine Festival, in which someone was killed, an incident that would have degenerated to a bloodbath had it not been averted.

Prof. Okonjo prayed God to forgive them for “they do not know what they do”, adding that ignorance and lack of exposure to civilisation have kept certain people in the community backward.