CISA

ABAKALIKI, APRIL 14, 2026 (CISA) – The Catholic Church in Nigeria is mourning the death of Bishop Peter Nworie Chukwu of the Catholic Diocese of Abakaliki, who passed away on April 10 at the age of 60, after less than five years of episcopal ministry.

The Vicar General of the Diocese, Fr. Donatus Oluwa Chukwu, announced the Bishop’s death in a statement issued on April 11, calling on the faithful to pray for the repose of his soul.

“Please keep the Bishop and the Diocese in your prayers,” he said, adding that funeral arrangements would be communicated in due course.

Although the official communication did not specify the cause of death, reports indicate that Bishop Chukwu died following health complications after an unsuccessful surgical procedure. Sources further reveal that the Bishop had endured a prolonged battle with illness, which saw him hospitalized during Holy Week prior to his passing.

Tributes have continued to pour in, with members of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria (CBCN) eulogizing him as a “devoted shepherd” whose episcopal ministry was marked by a strong commitment to pastoral renewal and social mission.

In a statement issued on April 11, the Bishops described the late prelate as one deeply grounded in Catholic Social Teaching, emphasizing the Church’s role in moral leadership, education, and the defense of human dignity. They highlighted his episcopal motto, “Totus Tuus Ego Sum” (“I am totally yours”), as a reflection of his total consecration to the Blessed Virgin Mary and his docility to the will of God.

“His humility, compassion, and dedication to serving both God and the people entrusted to his care reflected a harmonious blend of spiritual devotion and pastoral sensitivity,” the prelates eulogized.

Born in November 1965, Bishop Chukwu was ordained a priest for the Diocese of Abakaliki in July 1993. He was appointed Bishop of the Diocese in July 2021 and consecrated in August the same year. Until his death, he served as Assistant Secretary of the CBCN.

Following his death, Pope Leo XIV has appointed Bishop Ernest Anaezichukwu Obodo, Auxiliary Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Enugu, as Apostolic Administrator of Abakaliki Diocese.

The appointment was made public by the Apostolic Nuncio in Nigeria in a letter dated April 12, entrusting Bishop Obodo with the pastoral care of the Diocese pending the appointment of a substantive bishop.

Born on October 24, 1966, in Awha-Imezi, Enugu State, Bishop Obodo was ordained a priest on July 22, 2000, for the Diocese of Enugu. He undertook his priestly formation at Sacred Heart Minor Seminary in Nsude and Bigard Memorial Major Seminary in Enugu.

Over the years, he has served in various pastoral and academic roles, including as parish priest, seminary formator, diocesan official, and lecturer. He also pursued doctoral studies in theology at the University of Innsbruck in Austria between 2010 and 2016.

Appointed Auxiliary Bishop of Enugu in May 2018, Bishop Obodo also holds the titular see of Mediana. He is expected to steer the Diocese of Abakaliki through this period of transition as the local Church continues to mourn its late Bishop.