Vivian Uchechi Ogu

Nigeria is the most populous country on the African continent. It is dividedly roughly evenly between Muslims, who dominate the north, and Christians, who dominate the south. Boko Haram, a Muslim terrorist organization, has terrorized the people of Nigeria for years, their most notorious act being the kidnapping of over 270 mostly Christian school girls from the Government Girls Secondary School in Chibok, Borno State in 2014. Even today, many of those girls have never been heard from again. Nigeria also suffers intense persecution of Christians, both Protestant and Catholic. Over 50,000 Christians have been killed by Muslim terrorists since 2009. Estimates are that 350,000 people have been killed over the years of Boko Haram’s terror in Nigeria, the great majority other Muslims who do not abide by Boko Haram’s extremist interpretation of Islam.

There are signs of hope in Nigeria. Reports are that Boko Haram is declining, and that the government has made inroads against them in the northeastern part of the country where they dominate. Religious persecution is not the only threat in Nigeria, however. Violent crime in general is on the rise, including gang violence, police brutality, human trafficking, and kidnappings. Only this month, two priests were kidnapped within a week of each other, from two different dioceses.

With such persecutions and violent crimes, there was bound to be a saint emerging from the distress in this war-torn country. Now, Catholic authorities are elevating the cause of a young 14-year-old Nigerian girl, Vivian Uchechi Ogu, who suffered death rather than give in to the sexual demands of her murderers. According to an article on Crux, a Catholic news website, “On Sunday, Nov. 15, 2009, Ogu delivered a talk on purity, virginity, and martyrdom to her fellow children at St. Paul Catholic Church on Airport Road in Benin City in southern Nigeria. That very evening, armed robbers invaded her home, snatching her away to a nearby stretch of bushes. Their intent was clear, to violate her sexually. But Ogu refused to yield to her assailants’ demands. Tragically she was martyred, her life extinguished in the name of faith. … Fifteen years after Ogu’s death, the Church is considering her for sainthood, recognizing her sacrifice as a beacon of courage and devotion.”

The Archbishop of Benin City, Augustine Akubeze, signed an edict asking all who knew Ogu to come forward with testimony of her life. The archbishop also received a formal request to initiate the cause of Ogu’s canonization. The archbishop complied, so that Ogu has now received the honor of the title “Servant of God.” On May 21, the opening session of a tribunal to consider the cause of canonization for Ogu took place. Bishop Simeon Okezuo Nwobi, who will soon be installed as the bishop of Ahiara Diocese, spoke on that occasion: “Today, we gather to begin a journey of faith not just for the Archdiocese of Benin City or the Diocese of Ahiara, but for the Church in Nigeria and the entire world. … We have been drawn together by a life of purity and martyrdom. We have been drawn together by a remarkable young soul.” Nwobi spoke of Ogu’s “extraordinary depth of spirituality and a profound love for the Lord. … Her life was a beautiful mosaic of acts of kindness, deep prayerful life, and unwavering commitment to the Gospel. She was a source of joy and inspiration to all who knew her. … Her deep relationship with God helped her to stand firm in the face of adversity and imminent martyrdom. Thus, she has become an exemplar of faith and virtue in our times.”

Father Moses Lorapuu, Director of Communications and Vicar General Pastoral for the Catholic Diocese of Makurdi in Benue State said he hopes that the cause of Vivan Ogu will bring more attention to the plight of Catholics in Nigeria. Lorapuu regrets that the politicization of the persecutions has been an obstacle to the larger Church recognizing the heroism of the 40 million Catholics of Nigeria, 94% of whom attend Sunday Mass regularly, the largest percentage in the world for any country. “This news,” Fr. Lorapuu said, “will surely spark the dimmed enthusiasm of the Church in Nigeria that feels abandoned. There will be renewed hope that the priests and the faithful killed by Islamic terrorists and herdsmen in the Makurdi Diocese and other parts of Nigeria will one day be recognized by the Mother Church.”

There are no canonized saints of Nigeria yet, though there is Blessed Cyprian Tanzi, a parish priest who became a Trappist monk. There are two other Servants of God, along now with Vivian Ogu, among Nigerians. Jeremy White was a British born and naturalized citizen of Nigeria, and an educator. Finally, there is Archbishop Gabriel Ganaka, Archbishop of Jos.

Vivian Ogu was born on April 1, 1995 to Peter Ogu and his wife, being the second of four children. She attended school at the Air Force Nursery and Primary School. Her family worshipped at St. Paul Catholic Church in Benin City. She was involved in the Catholic Charismatic Renewal, directed the children’s choir at her parish, and was the president of the Holy Childhood Association at St. Paul’s. On September 17, 2019 the Edo State government opened the Vivian Ogu Sexual Assault and Referral Centre, which assists women who have been sexually assaulted.

In 1902, there was a young girl in Italy who met a similar fate to that of Vivian Ogu’s. She was not the victim of robbers, but of a neighbor overcome by his lust and desire for her. Her name was Maria Goretti. She was only eleven years-old when her neighbor demanded she submit to him. She refused, and he stabbed her multiple times. She died the next day after giving her testimony to the police and forgiving her assailant, hoping to see him in heaven with her. Of course, she is now honored as St. Maria Goretti. After 27 years in prison, her assailant became a lay Carmelite Brother and sat next to her mother at her canonization Mass.

Vivian Ogu showed similar strength and courage of faith in the face of her attackers, who shot her when she would not submit to being raped. Her heroic faith is a challenge and an encouragement to all who long to follow Jesus totally, giving everything to Him. Her witness is also a challenge and an encouragement to any whose faith in Jesus may be withering or is only faint. Her prayers can lift us up to greater love for our Lord and for His Church, who lifts her up for all to see as an example of a disciple who was willing to give all rather than forsake her Lord.

Be Christ for all. Bring Christ to all. See Christ in all.