Extending his concern beyond prison walls, the Nigerian Catholic Priest also drew attention to the suffering of internally displaced persons (IDPs) in violence-hit regions such as Benue, Plateau, and Kaduna States.
“Entire families have fled with nothing—not even a blanket. The Church cannot be indifferent to their suffering,” he said, and challenged Catholic lay groups to mobilize humanitarian support, including food, clothing, shoes, and money to be channelled through affected dioceses.
“Compassion must be lived, not just preached,” Fr. Banjo emphasized in the July 12 interview on the sidelines of the 2025 National Leadership Retreat for lay apostolate leaders and Chaplains.
He expressed the hope that the Jubilee retreat will serve as a spiritual and apostolic turning point for the Church in Nigeria.
“Let this Jubilee Retreat mark a renewed commitment to justice, mercy, and national healing. Let it ignite in us a new apostolic courage grounded in faith and guided by wisdom,” the member of the Clergy of Nigeria’s Catholic Diocese of Ijebu Ode told ACI Africa.
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Also speaking to ACI Africa at the same event, the Director of the Pastoral Agents Department at CSN, Fr. Augustine Okochi, highlighted internal threats weakening the Catholic lay apostolate in the West African nation that is Africa’s most populous country.
Fr. Okochi identified secularism, materialism, and a culture of personal ambition as major challenges. He said, “These are not abstract threats. They’ve infiltrated even our religious associations. The spiritual ideals we once held sacred are being undermined by an obsession with wealth, status, and worldly success.”
Fr. Okochi noted that these pressures lead to internal conflict, especially when misconduct such as fraud or embezzlement is met with tribalism and sectionalism instead of accountability.
“Unity in truth is what we need—not unity built on sentiment,” he said.
Fr. Okochi also raised concern over a lack of spiritual formation among Catholic youths, who he said are increasingly distracted by online content and disconnected from faith real communities.
“If we don’t invest in them, we will lose the next generation of Catholics,” he warned, and as a way forward, called for frequent retreats, educational workshops, and mentorship programs that target youths as primary beneficiaries.
For him, “A Church that neglects its youth is preparing for spiritual collapse.”
Meanwhile, the Acting National President of the Catholic Laity Council of Nigeria (CLCN), Barrister Mathias Braimo, called for accountability, transparency, and sustainability within Church associations and wider society.
“If we cannot account for our resources and be transparent, then our members cannot trust us. Financial mismanagement destroys structures and erodes credibility,” Barr. Braimo told ACI Africa on July 12.
Abah Anthony John is a Nigerian Catholic journalist with passion for Church communication and media apostolate. He holds a bachelor’s degree in mass communication from Benue State University, Makurdi in Benue State Nigeria. He has a background in print, electronic and multi-media production.
