The Catholic Bishop of Nsukka Diocese, Most Rev. Godfrey Onah, has disclosed that the Vatican Bank required him to obtain special authorisation before withdrawing money from his account, a restriction he says was imposed because he was born in Nigeria. The bishop made the remarks in a video shared on X on Wednesday, addressing an audience in Italy about the difficulties Nigerians face abroad.
Bishop's account of the Vatican Bank restriction
Onah said he visited the bank two days earlier to collect money from his account and was told he needed approval from the administration or secretariat because he had exceeded the limit on cash withdrawals. "It wasn't that way before," he noted. When Father Johnson, who was with him, asked whether the rule applied to everyone or only to bishops, the answer was that it depends on where a person was born.
Onah interpreted this to mean the rule targets Nigerians, stating that Nigerian-born customers cannot withdraw certain amounts from Italian banks, including the Vatican Bank, even if they are bishops. "For us Nigerians, the very fact that you are a Nigerian is a problem," he said in the video.
Broader banking issues for Nigerians in Italy
The bishop also asked Nigerians in Italy who had recently tried to open PostePay accounts whether they had succeeded, saying they no longer could and that the rule applies only to Nigerians. Complaints about PostePay have been reported in Italy before. The Italian legal group ASGI said in 2023 that Poste Italiane had for months refused basic accounts and PostePay Evolution cards to Nigerian nationals. It said the reason informally given was compliance with anti-money laundering rules, and that refusals based only on nationality were not legitimate.
In April 2023, an Italian citizen born in Nigeria told ANSA she was refused a PostePay Evolution card after being told Nigerians carried a money laundering risk flag. Poste Italiane said checks had been carried out and invited her to return for the card. Her card was blocked again in July this year, which Poste Italiane described as a temporary technical problem resolved within hours.
Progress on international listings and persistent issues
Nigeria was removed from the Financial Action Task Force grey list in October 2025 and from the European Union's list of high-risk jurisdictions for money laundering in January 2026. However, these issues still persist, according to the bishop's account and previous reports. The claims have not been independently verified, although rights groups have previously reported banking restrictions affecting Nigerians in Italy.
