The remains of the respected Catholic cleric were received on behalf of the Catholic Archdiocese of Benin City by the Apostolic Administrator, Bishop Donatus Ogun, alongside Rev. Fr. Dr. Augustine Ehigie, Rev. Fr. Michael Oyanoafoh, Papal Knights and members of the Knights of St. Mulumba.
The arrival of the remains was marked by an outpouring of grief and tributes from Catholic faithful, government officials and residents of the state, who gathered to honour the late Archbishop.
Archbishop Akubeze, who died on July 9, 2026, at the age of 69, was born on August 25, 1956, in Kaduna, Northern Nigeria.
He was ordained a Catholic priest on October 3, 1987, and consecrated a bishop on February 25, 2006.
Following his appointment on December 14, 2005, he became the pioneer Bishop of Uromi, a position he held until 2011.
On March 18, 2011, Pope Benedict XVI appointed him Archbishop of Benin City, and he was installed on April 28, 2011.
Until his death, Akubeze served as the Metropolitan Archbishop of Benin City and remained a prominent voice in the Catholic Church in Nigeria.
He served as Vice-President of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria (CBCN) from 2012 to 2018 and President from 2018 to 2022.
The late Archbishop also served as Apostolic Administrator of the Catholic Diocese of Warri, leaving behind a significant legacy of pastoral leadership and service to the Catholic Church in Nigeria.
