Benin bids final farewell to Akubeze: The Shepherd, The Voice, The Legacy

BENIN CITY – On Thursday bade a final farewell to one of its most respected spiritual and moral voices, Most Rev. Dr. Augustine Obiora Akubeze, as the Catholic Archdiocese of Benin City committed its late Metropolitan Archbishop to the earth after 15 years of pastoral service.

The atmosphere was one of profound grief, solemnity and gratitude as the clergy, Catholic faithful, family members, friends, political leaders, traditional rulers and other mourners gathered to honour the late Archbishop.

For many who attended the funeral, however, it was more than the burial of a Catholic prelate.

It was the final farewell to a shepherd whose presence had become deeply woven into the religious and social life of Benin City.

Akubeze died on July 9, 2026, at the age of 69, barely six weeks before his 70th birthday.

His death brought to an end a remarkable ecclesiastical journey that saw him rise from the priesthood to become Bishop of Uromi and subsequently Metropolitan Archbishop of Benin City in 2011.

For 15 years, he led the Archdiocese with a combination of pastoral commitment, intellectual depth and a willingness to engage the wider society.

A City in mourning

From the Vigil Mass at Holy Cross Cathedral on Wednesday to the Funeral Mass at St. Paul Catholic Church, Airport Road, on Thursday, Benin City witnessed an extraordinary outpouring of grief.

The funeral rites provided a final gathering point for people from different walks of life who had encountered the Archbishop in different circumstances.

Some came as members of his flock.

Others came as friends, colleagues, public officials, traditional leaders, professionals or beneficiaries of his counsel.

For all of them, however, there was a common recognition: Benin had lost a man whose voice mattered.

More than a churchman

Akubeze’s influence was never confined to the Catholic Church.

He was a public intellectual and a strong advocate for human dignity who frequently addressed issues affecting the Nigerian society.

He spoke about insecurity.

He spoke about poverty.

He spoke about corruption and governance.

He spoke about education and the responsibilities of leadership.

Above all, he spoke about the sanctity of human life.

His interventions were often measured but unmistakably firm.

He believed that religious leadership carried a responsibility to speak when society was drifting away from justice, compassion and respect for human dignity.

That conviction made him an important voice in Edo State and beyond.

THE NATIONAL VOICE

His national influence became even more pronounced during his tenure as President of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria from 2018 to 2022.

In that position, he became one of the leading voices of the Catholic Church on national questions.

He was part of a generation of Nigerian church leaders who understood that the Church could not remain indifferent to the political and social conditions of the people.

For Akubeze, the Gospel was not detached from everyday life.

Faith had to confront poverty.

Faith had to challenge injustice.

Faith had to defend the vulnerable.

And faith had to demand accountability from those entrusted with public responsibility.

THE HUMAN BEING BEHIND THE MITRE

Yet beyond the robes, titles and ecclesiastical authority was a man remembered by many for his warmth and accessibility.

Those who interacted closely with him recall a personality capable of combining seriousness with humour, authority with humility and intellectual sophistication with genuine human concern.

To priests, he was a father and mentor.

To the Catholic faithful, he was their shepherd.

To young people, he was an encourager.

To families, he could be a counsellor.

And to the wider society, he was a voice of conscience.

It is this human dimension that has made his death particularly painful.

A SHEPHERD WHO SPOKE FOR LIFE

Perhaps the most enduring thread running through Akubeze’s public ministry was his commitment to the dignity of human life.

Nigeria’s persistent insecurity deeply troubled him.

Whenever innocent lives were lost to violence, kidnapping, terrorism or criminality, he saw beyond the statistics.

He saw families shattered.

He saw dreams interrupted.

He saw communities traumatised.

And he repeatedly reminded the nation that every life was precious.

His position was rooted not in politics but in his conviction that human life was sacred.

What will Benin remember?

History will remember Akubeze for the offices he occupied.

But ordinary people may remember him for something more personal.

They will remember the homilies.

The prayers.

The pastoral visits.

The words of encouragement.

The moments when he stood with families in mourning.

The celebrations he shared with communities.

The public statements in which he challenged society to do better.

And perhaps most importantly, they will remember his insistence that leadership should be understood as service.

THE LEGACY

The death of a prominent church leader inevitably raises questions about succession.

But succession does not erase legacy.

The priests he ordained remain.

The institutions he strengthened continue.

The people he inspired remain witnesses to his ministry.

The causes he championed continue to demand attention.

And the moral questions he raised remain relevant.

That may ultimately be the measure of a successful ministry—not how long the shepherd occupies the pulpit, but how deeply his message remains after he has left it.

Benin’s Final Goodbye

With Thursday’s funeral, Benin City has now said its final public farewell to Archbishop Augustine Obiora Akubeze.

The bells may fall silent.

The mourners will eventually return home.

The vestments will be put away.

The funeral flowers will fade.

But the memory of the Archbishop will remain.

For 15 years, he was a familiar presence in the spiritual landscape of Benin City.

He became part of the city’s story.

And now, in death, he has become part of its history.

His was a life that crossed the boundaries of the sanctuary.

He was a priest who became a bishop, a bishop who became an archbishop, and an archbishop whose voice reached far beyond the Catholic faithful.

He preached the dignity of life.

He defended the vulnerable.

He encouraged responsible leadership.

He challenged injustice.

And he reminded Nigerians that faith without concern for the human person is incomplete.

As Benin City mourns, it can also give thanks.

Thanks for the years.

Thanks for the service.

Thanks for the counsel.

Thanks for the courage.

And thanks for a shepherd who left an imprint on the people he served.

Archbishop Augustine Obiora Akubeze is gone, but his voice has not disappeared.

It lives on in the people he touched, the priests he formed, the institutions he served and the values he defended.

Benin has said goodbye to the shepherd.

But the legacy remains.

May his soul, and the souls of all the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace.

Amen.