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Nigerian Catholic Bishop Decries Surge in Immorality, Says Level of Corruption Warrants God’s Anger, Destruction

Silas Isenjia

By Silas Isenjia

Abuja, 13 March, 2025 / 7:35 pm (ACI Africa).

The Auxiliary Bishop of Enugu Diocese in Nigeria has condemned what he describes as an increasing moral decline in the West African country, saying that the people’s misdeeds warrant God’s anger and destruction.

Speaking on Wednesday, March 12, during the fourth day of the first 2025 Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria (CBCN) Plenary Assembly, Bishop Ernest Anaezichukwu Obodo highlighted the contrast between the strength of Nigeria’s religious structures and the moral state of its citizens.

“Nigeria is a very religious country… not to mention the numerous other pastors and imams preaching repentance to the people of this country, yet there has been no corresponding change in the moral lives of the Nigerian people,” Bishop Obodo says in a Wednesday, March 12  report following the Holy Mass on the fourth day of the assembly being held at the Catholic Secretariat of Nigeria (CSN) Resource Centre, Durumi Abuja.

He likened the level of corruption in Africa’s most populous nation to the biblical city of Nineveh, saying, “Nigeria, with its diverse culture and languages, may be compared to Nineveh. But for God’s mercy, the level of corruption in Nigeria warrants God’s anger and destruction.”

The Bishop called for repentance in Nigeria, pointing to its significance during the Lenten season. He urged Christians to embrace the Sacrament of Reconciliation, describing it as a means through which God’s mercy and forgiveness are received.

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“God always responds with mercy when we approach Him with contrite hearts, confessing our sins. Jesus is the sign of Jonah to the people of the New Testament, and through Him, God’s mercy is extended to us at the confessional, God’s throne of mercy,” he admonished.

Bishop Obodo encouraged frequent participation in the Sacrament of Reconciliation, emphasizing the need for confessions that are concise, concrete, clear, and complete.

In his opening address of the Assembly on Sunday, March 9, the President of CBCN, Archbishop Lucius Iwejuru Ugorji spoke on the consequences of not addressing the challenge of unemployment among the youth in the country, which he said could be far-reaching.

Linking the surge in crime in the country to joblessness, Archbishop Ugorji said, “Unemployment among the youth is a ticking time bomb, as frustration and disillusionment make them easy targets for radicalization and recruitment into violent groups.”

The Local Ordinary of Nigeria’s Catholic Archdiocese of Owerri further said, “This dismal atmosphere seems to condemn many jobless youths to a life of purposelessness and despair.”

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He said that the state of joblessness is pushing the youths in Nigeria towards criminal activities, including kidnapping, armed robbery, drug abuse, cybercrime, and cultism.

Archbishop Ugorji said that unemployment is also pushing many youths into “seeking extraordinary spiritual powers for instant prosperity without working for it.”

Silas Isenjia

Silas Mwale Isenjia is a Kenyan journalist with a great zeal and interest for Catholic Church related communication. He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Linguistics, Media and Communication from Moi University in Kenya. Silas has vast experience in the Media production industry. He currently works as a Journalist for ACI Africa.

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