Tribute to the late Archbishop, Most Rev. Dr. Augustine Akubueze.
You were such a Man I admire so much, your humility, openness, friendliness, tolerance, peacefulness, benevolence, Godliness etc. No one expected you will leave so soon but God knows best.
You have impacted positively our Christian faith especially as catholics. May God almighty rest your soul in peace.
By Preston Osobase/family

A TRIBUTE IN HONOUR OF THE LATE MOST REV. AUGUSTINE OBIORA AKUBEZE
ARCHBISHOP OF BENIN CITY, 25 AUGUST 1956 - 9 JULY 2026

“I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.” (2 Timothy 4:7)

With hearts heavy, yet fastened in the hope of the resurrection, I bow my head with the Church in Nigeria and beyond to remember a shepherd who walked among us not as a lord, but as a servant, a father who formed me and formed many.

The Lord called His servant Most Rev. Augustine Obiora Akubeze home on Thursday, July 9, 2026, at the age of 69, just about a month to his 70th birthday. In the 15 years of his episcopacy in Benin City, and in the decades before as Bishop of Uromi and President of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria, he left footprints too deep for time to expunge, footprints I have tried to follow in my own priesthood.

Your Excellency, your episcopal motto, “Ut Testimonium Perhibeam Veritati”, “That I may bear witness to the Truth”, was not a motto on paper. It was the rule of your life, and it became a rule for me.

As a formator at St. Albert the Great Seminary, I watched you form shepherds. You reminded us, again and again, that a priest must “pay careful attention to himself and to all the flock” (Acts 20:28). You did not preach yourself, but Christ Jesus as Lord (2 Cor 4:5). Whether in your homilies that fed souls rather than tickled ears, in your faithfulness to the Eucharist and the Liturgy of the Hours, or in the quiet way you carried the smell of your flock, you taught me that without abiding in the Vine, we can do nothing (John 15:5).

In a world that chases titles, you chose towels. Though you served as Archbishop, Bishop, Administrator, Vice-President and President of CBCN, you remained reachable. Countless seminarians, priests, lay faithful and myself can testify: doors that should have been closed were open to you. You listened with the patience of Jesus who stopped for the blind man on the roadside. You welcomed the seminarian with questions, the poor with burdens, the leader seeking counsel. No one was too small for your time.

You taught me that sincere authority in the Church is measured not by power, but by service. Your simplicity was not poverty of spirit, but richness of grace, the kind that made people feel safe to approach.

You understood that the Church is not just buildings, it is people. Yet you built both, and in building people, you built me.

Spiritually: You formed us to love the truth and to live it. Your devotion reminded us daily that holiness is possible in ordinary life.

Mentally: In turbulent times, you were a moral compass for the nation and for us priests. You gave us language for our pain and the courage to speak truth with grace: “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer…” (Philippians 4:6).

Academically: As President of CBCN, you insisted that an uneducated faith is vulnerable. You invested in seminaries and formation because you believed “my people are destroyed for lack of knowledge” (Hosea 4:6) should never be said of us.

Physically: You built churches and pastoral centres not as monuments to a man, but as houses where God’s people could encounter Him, like Nehemiah rebuilding walls so the people could dwell in safety.

Like Jesus with the 5,000, you took what little we had, our time, our talent, our brokenness, blessed it, and fed multitudes.

Your Excellency, you taught me that greatness in the Kingdom looks like simplicity. That leadership looks like listening. That holiness looks like generosity. You left us a threefold legacy: spirituality, simplicity and generosity. A legacy I now carry into the seminary classrooms and to the young men God entrusts to me.

You served until the last day, and fell asleep in the Lord while on vacation, like a labourer who laid down his tools only when the Master called: “Well done, good and faithful servant. Enter into the joy of your master” (Matthew 25:23). We do not grieve as those who have no hope (1 Thess 4:13). The See is vacant, but the work continues, because you first showed us how.

Rest well, my father and father in the episcopacy. Thank you for bearing witness to the Truth. Thank you for forming this son of yours.

May perpetual light shine upon you. May the angels lead you into paradise. And may we, the flock you loved and the priests you formed, be faithful to the vineyard you watered with your life.
Requiescat in Pace, amen.

REV. FR. ENOCH USIFO

The sad news of the demise of our Revered Archbishop Augustine Obiora Akubeze filtered into my awareness with rude shock. Who are we to question the will of God for his chosen one. We loved our dear bishop but God loves him more.

My path with Archbishop of the metropolitan see of Benin, Most Rev Dr. Augustine Obiora Akubeze, crossed during his days as the Bishop of Uromi diocese. As the Bishop of Uromi, he was in-charge, as the chief shepherd of my home Parish in Ebudin, Esan Central LGA, Edo State. When he comes to celebrate Holy mass at Ebudin, he will always take out time to visit my father, Pa. Augustine Isele now of blessed memory, who was a leading member of St. Patrick's Catholic Church, Ebudin It was always a pleasure receiving the Bishop in our Home.

On being made the Archbishop of the Archdioceses of Benin, it became quite easy to relate with him when I was transferred to Benin also. The only time the Bishop visited my home in Benin was when he came to bless my "Chapel" and I will never forget that visit to my humble home.

Archbishop Akubeze was a good shepherd of the most high God. He was very receptive, humble, intelligent, friendly and kind. My prayer is that God should give him merciful judgement and accept him into his kingdom.

Eternal rest grant unto him, O'Lord and let perpetual light shine upon him. May his gentle and dutiful soul rest in perfect peace. Amen.

From: Noble Dr. Paschal D.O. Isele (KSJI), Worthy President, KSJI Commandery 552, Benin.

TRIBUTE TO HIS GRACE, MOST REV. DR. AUGUSTINE OBIORA AKUBUEZE

With deep gratitude to God and heartfelt appreciation, I pay tribute to His Grace, Most Rev. Dr. Augustine Obiora Akubueze, the late Archbishop of the Catholic Archdiocese of Benin City.

His Grace was a true shepherd, a dedicated servant of God, and a father to many. Through his leadership, wisdom, humility, and commitment to the growth of the Church, he touched countless lives and left an indelible mark on the Archdiocese and beyond.

We are grateful to God for the gift of his life and for the many years he devoted to the service of the Church and God's people. His legacy of faith, service, and love will continue to inspire generations to come.

As we mourn his passing, we also give thanks for a life well lived and a mission faithfully fulfilled. May his memory remain a blessing to all who encountered him, and may the fruits of his ministry continue to flourish.

May the souls of the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen.

Eternal rest grant unto him, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon him. May he rest in peace. Amen.

A Tribute to Our Beloved Shepherd

His Grace, Most Rev. Dr. Augustine Obiora Akubeze

With profound gratitude for a life so generously lived in the service of God and His Church, the Catholic Women Organization (CWON), Abudu Deanery, pays loving tribute to our beloved Shepherd, His Grace, Most Rev. Dr. Augustine Obiora Akubeze.

His Grace's life was a beautiful reflection of Christ's love—marked by humility, wisdom, compassion, and unwavering dedication to God's people. His gentle leadership, fatherly care, and steadfast faith inspired countless lives and strengthened the Church entrusted to his care.

Though his earthly pilgrimage has ended, the light of his faithful witness and the legacy of his selfless service will continue to illuminate our path. We remain profoundly grateful for the gift of his life and ministry.

May the Good Shepherd, whom he served with such fidelity, welcome him into the eternal joy of His heavenly kingdom. May his soul rest in perfect peace, and may his memory continue to inspire generations to come.

Eternal rest grant unto him, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon him. May he rest in peace. Amen.

Signed:

Mrs. Omoye Itimah
(President, CWON, Abudu Deanery)

A Tribute to Our Beloved Shepherd

His Grace, Most Rev. Dr. Augustine Obiora Akubeze

With profound gratitude for a life so generously lived in the service of God and His Church, the Catholic Women Organization (CWON), Abudu Deanery, pays loving tribute to our beloved Shepherd, His Grace, Most Rev. Dr. Augustine Obiora Akubeze.

His Grace's life was a beautiful reflection of Christ's love—marked by humility, wisdom, compassion, and unwavering dedication to God's people. His gentle leadership, fatherly care, and steadfast faith inspired countless lives and strengthened the Church entrusted to his care.

Though his earthly pilgrimage has ended, the light of his faithful witness and the legacy of his selfless service will continue to illuminate our path. We remain profoundly grateful for the gift of his life and ministry.

May the Good Shepherd, whom he served with such fidelity, welcome him into the eternal joy of His heavenly kingdom. May his soul rest in perfect peace, and may his memory continue to inspire generations to come.

Eternal rest grant unto him, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon him. May he rest in peace. Amen.

Signed:

Mrs. Omoye Itimah
(President, CWON, Abudu Deanery)

CATHOLIC WOMEN ORGANISATION NIGERIA (CWON)
ARCHDIOCESE OF BENIN CITY

July 20, 2026

The Apostolic Administrator,
Catholic Archdiocese of Benin City,
Most Rev. Dr. Donatus A. Ogun

My Lord,

CONDOLENCE MESSAGE ON THE DEATH OF HIS GRACE, MOST REV. DR. AUGUSTINE OBIORA AKUBEZE

With heavy hearts and total submission to the will of God, we, the Catholic Women Organisation, (CWO) Archdiocese of Benin City, commiserate with you on the passing of our Father, Teacher, and Chief Shepherd, His Grace, Most Rev. Dr. Augustine Obiora Akubeze, Archbishop of Benin Archdiocese.

His Grace taught us that _“The Church is not a place for gossip... It is a place of prayer and worship and it must be kept clean and sacred.” We thank him for his pastoral care, his homilies that formed us, and his dedication to keeping the Church holy and sacred.

We will never forget his fatherly guidance, his zeal for evangelization, his charity, his commitment to building strong Christian homes, and his love for the work of CWO.

As a man of prayer and simplicity, he was accessible to all. He supported priestly formation, youth development, and care for the poor and vulnerable. His fatherly presence brought comfort and direction to many.

The Archdiocese has lost a true father, and CWO has lost a great supporter and encourager.

As we bid him farewell, we pray that the Good Shepherd whom he served faithfully while on earth, will grant him eternal rest and welcome him into His kingdom.

May his gentle soul rest in perfect peace. Amen.

_Ave Maria!!!_

Mrs. Margaret Osayande, KSP
Archdiocesan President

Mrs. Eunice Ogbebor
Archdiocesan Secretary

CATHOLIC WOMEN ORGANISATION NIGERIA (CWON)
ARCHDIOCESE OF BENIN CITY

July 20, 2026

The Apostolic Administrator,
Catholic Archdiocese of Benin City,
Most Rev. Dr. Donatus A. Ogun

My Lord,

CONDOLENCE MESSAGE ON THE DEATH OF HIS GRACE, MOST REV. DR. AUGUSTINE OBIORA AKUBEZE

With heavy hearts and total submission to the will of God, we, the Catholic Women Organisation, (CWO) Archdiocese of Benin City, commiserate with you on the passing of our Father, Teacher, and Chief Shepherd, His Grace, Most Rev. Dr. Augustine Obiora Akubeze, Archbishop of Benin Archdiocese.

His Grace taught us that _“The Church is not a place for gossip... It is a place of prayer and worship and it must be kept clean and sacred.” We thank him for his pastoral care, his homilies that formed us, and his dedication to keeping the Church holy and sacred.

We will never forget his fatherly guidance, his zeal for evangelization, his charity, his commitment to building strong Christian homes, and his love for the work of CWO.

As a man of prayer and simplicity, he was accessible to all. He supported priestly formation, youth development, and care for the poor and vulnerable. His fatherly presence brought comfort and direction to many.

The Archdiocese has lost a true father, and CWO has lost a great supporter and encourager.

As we bid him farewell, we pray that the Good Shepherd whom he served faithfully while on earth, will grant him eternal rest and welcome him into His kingdom.

May his gentle soul rest in perfect peace. Amen.

_Ave Maria!!!_

Mrs. Margaret Osayande, KSP
Archdiocesan President

Mrs. Eunice Ogbebor
Archdiocesan Secretary

Hmmmm. What can I say than it is well with your soul Your Grace Most Rev Augustine Obiora Akubueze. Your death came as a shock to me but hope will not disappoint us. Thank you so much for the simple life you lived and for your outstanding characteristics as a true shepherd to the flock that was entrusted to your care. Rest in peace Your Grace.