His Holiness, Pope Francis, has described late 14-year-old Vivian Ogu‎ as an example to all Christians not only in Nigeria but all over the world.

Recall that Vivian was on November 15, 2009, was shot dead by armed robbers after she resisted being raped by them when they invaded her family house in Benin City.

The robbers were said to have taken her and her sister out of town to a rural area where she was killed.

The pope, represented by Archbishop Guampetno Dal Toso, International President of Pontifical Mission Societies, spoke at the closing ceremony of the National Mission Congress of Nigeria at the Vivian Ogu Missionary Animation Centre in Benin City at the weekend.

“She showed us how we can live our faith without minding the consequences.” the pope said and expressed joy that “we have here in Nigeria, this good example of a young woman who gave her life for her fidelity of her faith.”

Similarly, Edo State governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki; Cardinal John Onaiyekan, Catholic Archbishop of Abujacand Archbishop Augustine Akubeze, President, Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria (CBCN), eulogised the life and times Vivian Ogu, saying her life was worth emulating.

Specifically, Governor Obaseki said the late Vivian led an exemplary holy life which had become an enduring legacy for the present and future generation.

He noted that Vivian died for what she believed in rather than succumbing to the whim and caprices of the armed robbers who shot and killed her for refusing to be raped.

“We are here in memory of the life of a young girl who at the age of 14 paid the supreme price for her refusal to be raped by the armed robbers that robbed her family that fateful night.

“At this juncture, it is my esteemed pleasure to welcome all of you to Benin City on this memorable occasion for the consecration of the grounds on which Vivian Ogu was martyred.

“Believe me, this is the most befitting honour in preserving the memory of untimely and painful death of a heroine who strongly affirmed her belief in the teaching and doctrine of her Christian faith,” Obaseki said.

In his speech, Cardinal John Onaiyekan, said God has a message which He wants to pass across to the world through Vivian’s death, stressing that there had been a series of similar deaths in the country yet there was no much news about them but Vivian’s case had proved otherwise.

“You must see the hand of God in this. How many times have we been hearing that armed robbers killed people? This is not the first time armed robbers are killing people but this particular case is special.

“It must be because God wants to use her to tell a story that we are so anxious to try to save our lives and in that, like the governor said, in an effort to save our lives, we give in to everything thinking that we are saving our lives whereas Jesus says those who want to save their lives will lose it and those who lose their lives for his sake will gain it.

“The question I ask as we sit down now today is, is Vivian dead?”

Also speaking, Archbishop Augustine Akubeze, said her death was a clarion call for Christians to practise their faith.

“She preached purity of life and she died protecting that and it is a sign for all young people to practise their faith; she practised her faith till the end and that is why the church is even promoting her and people like her so that other young people and adults will emulate them and do what they should do,” Akubeze said. (The Sun)

Update news