The Catholic Archbishop of Benin City and former President of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria (CBCN), Most Rev. Augustine Obiora Akubeze is dead.
Akubeze died on Thursday while on vacation abroad at the age of 69.
He would have turned 70 on August 25 which would have also signalled his retirement in line with the Catholic Church’s doctrine.
Born on August 25, 1956, Archbishop Akubeze was ordained a Catholic priest before being appointed Bishop of Uromi.
A statement by the Chancellor of the Catholic Archdiocese of Benin City, Very Rev. Fr. Michael Oyanoafoh, titled “Notification of Death” officially announced the death of Akubeze “with profound sorrow, yet with a firm hope in the resurrection.”
The statement said he was ordained as a Catholic priest on October 3, 1987, appointed Bishop of Uromi on December 14, 2005 and consecrated on February 25, 2006.
He was later appointed Archbishop of Benin City on March 18, 2011 and installed on April 28, 2011.
“Archbishop Augustine Obiora Akubeze lived a very simple and humble life in faith and obedience to the will of God.
“He impacted on the lives of so many people. He was a complete gentleman and a father to us all.
“We commend his soul to the infinite mercy of God. May the Lord grant him a merciful judgement and eternal rest,” the statement stated.
It noted that under his leadership, the Archdiocese of Benin City recorded significant spiritual and institutional growth, while he remained deeply committed to the welfare, formation, and pastoral development of priests.
The statement paid glowing tribute to his leadership at the national level, recalling his tenure as President of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria from 2018 to 2022.
It said that the funeral arrangements would be communicated later.
