Nigerian Bishop Charles Ighele calls for a ban of Valentine's Day - this is why...

The General Superintendent of the Holy Spirit Mission in Ikeja, Lagos State, Bishop Charles Ighele, has argued that Valentine's Day celebrations should be outlawed in Nigeria. He contends that the day has started to promote romantic connections rather than its original purpose of helping the poor and working for humanitarian causes. According to Ighele, Valentine's Day is a "deception from the devil" that aims to create a "universal day of immorality" on the planet.

The bishop emphasizes Valentine's Day's connection to Cupid, the Roman deity of love, who is also referred to as Eros in Greek mythology and is the source of the word "erotic." He argues that the commemoration of this day reinforces sexual behavior in society by arousing sexual cravings and spreading sexual entertainment. According to Ighele, Cupid persuades people to spend February 14 doing things that misrepresent what true love is all about.

Given these worries, Ighele calls on authorities to outlaw Valentine's Day festivities because of their negative effects on young people. He highlights how families, educational institutions, religious organizations, and the government all have a shared duty to promote morally and socially upright civilizations. According to the bishop, such a prohibition would shield people from moral deterioration and direct them toward more honorable displays of affection.