- Bishop Ighele pointed to the issues of illicit sexual conduct and the encouragement of romantic relationships linked to Valentine day as the basis for his appeal.
- He argued that Valentine’s Day has deviated from its initial intent of fostering support for the less privileged and engaging in humanitarian work.
- He stated that prohibiting Valentine’s Day celebrations would help rescue individuals from moral decline.
Bishop Charles Ighele, the General Superintendent of the Holy Spirit Mission, advocates for the ban of Valentine’s Day celebrations in Nigeria.
In a discussion with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), Bishop Ighele expressed concerns that Valentine’s Day celebration has deviated from its original purpose of promoting charity and humanitarian work.
According to him, Valentine’s Day has become a means for illicit sexual conduct and the promotion of romantic relationships that are detrimental to society.
He shared his believe that the holiday’s association with Cupid, the Roman deity of love, incites sexual desires and promotes sexual entertainment.
Bishop Ighele characterized Valentine’s Day as a “universal day of immorality” and a “deception from the devil.”
He urged authorities to ban the celebration, citing its negative impact on the youth.
He highlighted the need for a collaborative effort among the government, religious institutions, educational establishments, and families to promote redeeming social values.
He said:
“The day is associated with a romantic demon known as Cupid. This demon is one of the rulers of the darkness of this world as found in Ephesians 6 verses 11 and 12.
“Cupid is the Roman name for the Greek god of love known as Eros. The English word erotic has its root in Eros.
“The dictionary defines the word erotic as relating to or tendency to arouse sexual desire or excitement.
”The celebration of the day inspires s3xual feelings on people and spread s3xual entertainment in order to further institutionalise s3x”.
