Nigeria Mourns as Former Catholic Bishops' Conference President, Archbishop Augustine Obiora Akubeze, Dies at 69

Nigeria Mourns as Former Catholic Bishops' Conference President, Archbishop Augustine Obiora Akubeze, Dies at 69
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‎E-ISSN: 2354-4481
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‎By Rita Onuoha
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‎The Catholic Church in Nigeria has been thrown into mourning following the death of the Metropolitan Archbishop Emeritus of Benin City, Most Rev. Augustine Obiora Akubeze, who died at the age of 69.
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‎The Catholic Secretariat of Nigeria (CSN) announced his passing on Thursday, July 9, 2026, describing his death as a great loss to the Church in Nigeria and the global Catholic community.
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‎Catholic Secretariat of Nigeria
‎Archbishop Akubeze was widely respected for his unwavering commitment to evangelization, peacebuilding, theological scholarship, and pastoral care. Throughout his episcopal ministry, he championed justice, moral values, interfaith dialogue, and the spiritual formation of the faithful.
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‎Born on December 28, 1956, in Edo State, Akubeze was ordained a Catholic priest in 1984 before being appointed Bishop of Uromi in 2005. He was later elevated as the Metropolitan Archbishop of Benin City in 2011, where he served faithfully until his retirement.
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‎He also served as President of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of Nigeria (CBCN), providing courageous leadership during some of the country's most difficult periods marked by insecurity, economic hardship, and national uncertainty. His voice consistently called for peace, good governance, justice, and the protection of human dignity.
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‎Only a few months ago, bishops, priests, religious, and lay faithful celebrated his 20th Episcopal Anniversary, where CBCN President Archbishop Lucius Iwejuru Ugorji praised his sacrificial leadership and described him as a true shepherd devoted to Christ and His Church.
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‎NIGERIA CATHOLIC NETWORK
‎Religious Leaders Pay Tribute
‎President of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Archbishop Daniel Okoh, described Archbishop Akubeze as "a courageous servant of God whose life reflected humility, wisdom, and unwavering commitment to the Gospel."
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‎The Catholic Secretariat of Nigeria also paid glowing tribute, noting that his legacy of faithful service, pastoral compassion, and dedication to the mission of the Church would continue to inspire generations of priests, religious, and lay faithful.
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‎Catholic Secretariat of Nigeria
‎Many bishops, priests, religious congregations, and Catholic faithful across Nigeria have continued to offer prayers and messages of condolence, remembering Archbishop Akubeze as a bridge-builder, a defender of truth, and a shepherd who devoted his entire life to the service of God and humanity.
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‎His death marks the end of an extraordinary era of pastoral leadership, but his enduring legacy of faith, humility, and service will remain deeply engraved in the history of the Catholic Church in Nigeria.

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