NSUKKA PAYS FINAL HOMAGE AS BISHOP OKOBO GOES HOME

Nsukka stood still this week, draped in hymns and candlelight, as thousands gathered at St. Theresa’s Cathedral to pay their last respects to Bishop Francis Emmanuel Ogbonna Okobo — the first shepherd of the diocese and a man revered for his humility and tireless service.

Bishop Okobo, who died on August 29 at the age of 88, was laid to rest after two days of solemn yet celebratory rites. The ceremonies featured a Requiem Mass, night vigil and a final interment within the cathedral compound — the same grounds where he had ordained priests and nurtured the faithful for decades.

Presiding Bishop Geoffrey Igwebuike Onah and a host of visiting prelates described Okobo as “a rare gift to the Church” and “a father whose footprints will not be erased.” Among the mourners were political leaders including former Anambra governor Peter Obi and senior Enugu State officials, all part of the crowd that came to witness his homegoing.

Born in Lejja, Okobo steered the new diocese from 1991 until his retirement in 2013, expanding parishes, establishing schools and shaping programmes that still anchor Catholic life across the region.

As the bells tolled and incense curled upward, the headline came to life: Nsukka truly paid final homage as Bishop Okobo went home — not only to his resting place but to the hearts of a community that will carry his legacy forward.

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