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Vivian Uchechi Ogu (1 April 1995 – 15 November 2009) was a 14-year-old lay person from Benin City, Nigeria. She was martyred for defending her chastity. She was declared Servant of God on 7 October 2023 at Holy Cross Cathedral by Archbishop Akubeze.

Early life

Ogu was born in Benin City on 1 April 1995 to Peter Ogu and his wife in Imo State, Nigeria. She was the second out of four children. She attended the Air Force Nursery and Primary School. She was a parishioner of St. Paul's Catholic Church, Airport Road, Benin City. She was a member of the Catholic Charismatic Renewal, the choir mistress of the children's choir, and the president of the Holy Childhood Association in the parish.

Martyrdom

On 15 November 2009, while at home that evening, armed robbers came to rob her family and afterward took her to a nearby bush and attempted to rape her. She refused and opted to be shot instead.

Honors

The Government council of Ikpoba Okha officially named the street on which she was killed "Vivian Ogu". On 17 September 2019, the Edo State government launched the Vivian Ogu Sexual Assault Referral Centre.

Memorial Day for Vivian Ogu is commomerated on 15 November every year. The Vivian Ogu Movement was inaugurated in 2014 by the Catholic Archbishop of Benin.

Canonization

Archbishop Augustine Obiora Akubeze of Benin City inaugurated the Vivian Ogu Movement in March 2014.

In May 2023, Archbishop Akubeze approved Christiana Marinelli, who is based in Rome, as the Postulator of the Cause.

The Archbishop received the Suplex Libellius on 12 September 2023, as issued by the Congregation for the Cause of Saints, and requested him to initiate the Cause for Canonization of Vivian Ogu.

The Catholic Bishops' Conference of Nigeria gave its approval that the cause of her beatification and canonization be opened on 14 September 2023.

The Edict on the cause for beatification and canonization of the Servant of God was read and posted at the Holy Cross Cathedral on Saturday, 7 October 2023, by Archbishop Akubeze.

References

1. ^ "Nigerian martyr Vivian Ogu on path toward canonization - Vatican News". www.vaticannews.va. 19 October 2023. Retrieved 26 March 2024.
2. "Bishop Terry's September 2019 Voice Column | Middlesbrough Diocese". Retrieved 29 March 2024.
3. "Vivian Ogu Movement". www.vivianogu.org. Retrieved 26 March 2024.
4. OGU, VIVIAN UCHECHI. "VIVIAN UCHECHI OGU" (PDF). PDF.
5. Adedipe, Adeyinka (7 October 2023). "Catholic church to canonise Edo teenager killed for resisting rape". Punch Newspapers. Retrieved 26 March 2024.
6. Fides, Agenzia. "AFRICA/NIGERIA- The initiation of the cause for the beatification of Vivian Uchechi Ogu, a 14-year-old killed like St. Maria Goretti - Agenzia Fides". www.fides.org. Retrieved 26 March 2024.
7. "14-year-old Nigerian girl could be declared a martyr". Aleteia — Catholic Spirituality, Lifestyle, World News, and Culture. 29 October 2023. Retrieved 26 March 2024.
8. "From Tragic Heroism to Potential Sainthood: Vivian Uchechi Ogu's Inspiring Journey in Nigeria's Catholic Church". Nigerian Bulletin. 15 October 2023. Retrieved 29 March 2024.
9. "Vivian Ogu, a Heroine in Death - THISDAYLIVE". www.thisdaylive.com. Retrieved 29 March 2024.
10. Media, C. S. N. (22 February 2024). "Vivian Ogu's beatification, a model of purity for the younger generation—Archbishop Akubeze". NIGERIA CATHOLIC NETWORK. Retrieved 29 March 2024.
11. Ayodele, Suyi (7 October 2023). "Catholic Church set to canonise teenagers killed for resisting rape in Benin". Tribune Online. Retrieved 29 March 2024.
12. Snow, McKenna (9 October 2023). "14-Year-Old Martyr, Vivian Uchechi Ogu, to Begin Canonization Process". CatholicVote org. Retrieved 29 March 2024.

• Nigerian Roman Catholics
• 1995 births
• 2009 deaths
• Nigerian Servants of God
• Martyrs
• Deaths by firearm