By PAMELA EBOH, Awka

A priest of the Catholic Diocese of Awka, Rev. Fr Jude Muokwe, has allegedly beaten up a 50-year-old widow, Mrs Ikeorah Maureen, mercilessly with a whip inflicting multiple injuries on her in the process.

A video of the widow, which is already trending on social media showed the primary school teacher crying like a baby, and showing bodily injuries inflicted on her by the priest.

The widow, an indigene of Ifitedunu community in Dunukofia Local Government Area of the state, is said to be a teacher with Angel Primary School, Ifitedunu, a mission school.

It was gathered that the widow was in a meeting in one of the classrooms with some other staff members of the school over salary increment, when the priest came into the classroom and started flogging to the amazement of everyone.

It was also learnt that they planned to pass the message of the increment to the school management,

When the priest, Rev Fr Jude Muokwe was contacted, he did not deny the allegation, but simply said: “I will not like to comment on the matter.

“I cannot speak to you. I can’t speak, especially to someone I do not know about this matter.”

The incident has generated a lot of reactions on social media, with many people calling for sanctions on the priest for being inhuman to an innocent widow.

In one of the reactions, one Benji Eze said: “This must not be allowed to slide, police needs to arrest that priest. He is not above the law, and even the hierarchy of the Catholic Church needs to sanction him.

“I’m calling on the Commissioner for Women Affairs, Mrs Ify Obinabo, to rise to this occasion as she always does. This should not be swept under the carpet because a priest is involved.”