The Catholic Bishop of Nsukka Diocese, Most Rev. Godfrey Onah, has alleged that the Vatican Bank restricted his access to funds in his account because he was born in Nigeria, raising concerns about possible nationality-based discrimination against Nigerians seeking financial services abroad.
Onah, a former Vice-Rector of the Pontifical Urban University in Rome, made the allegation while addressing Catholic faithful in Rome in a video shared on his YouTube account on Wednesday.
Recounting his experience, the bishop said he visited the Vatican Bank two days earlier to withdraw money from his account but was informed that he needed authorisation from the administration or secretariat because he had exceeded the permitted cash withdrawal limit.
According to him, the restriction surprised and irritated him because it was not the arrangement he had previously encountered at the bank.
“I was amused and also a little irritated. It wasn’t that way before,” Onah said.
He explained that Father Johnson, a priest who accompanied him to the bank, subsequently asked the officials whether the restriction applied to everyone or specifically to bishops.
Onah said the response from the bank officials suggested that the restriction was determined by the customer’s place of birth.
“Depende da dove e nato. It depends on where you were born. So this rule is specific, targeting Nigerians,” he quoted the bank as saying.
The bishop expressed concern that being Nigerian had become an obstacle to accessing services that might otherwise be available without similar difficulties to people of other nationalities.
“For us Nigerians, the very fact that you are a Nigerian is a problem. (It) complicates life for you,” he said.
Onah also referred to Nigerians in Italy who had recently attempted to open accounts with PostPay, questioning whether they had succeeded in their efforts.
His remarks come amid broader complaints about difficulties Nigerians encounter when attempting to access financial services in Italy and other European countries.
However, the bishop did not provide further details about the specific withdrawal policy, the amount he intended to withdraw, or whether the restriction was formally linked to his Nigerian nationality. He also did not disclose whether he eventually obtained the required authorisation and completed the transaction.
The allegation raises questions about how financial institutions apply withdrawal limits and other account restrictions to customers of different nationalities, particularly where such measures may affect access to funds belonging to account holders.
It remains unclear whether the restriction described by Onah was part of a broader policy affecting Nigerian customers or a measure applied under specific banking procedures. The bishop’s account, as presented in the video, did not include a response from the Vatican Bank.
The incident is likely to draw further attention to concerns about the treatment of Nigerians abroad and the barriers they may encounter when accessing financial services in foreign countries.