A Nigerian pastor committed suicide recently after his girlfriend turned down his marriage proposal.
Pastor Prosper Obum Igboke, 30, reportedly jumped from a two-story building in July and died at the scene, The Christian Post reports.
Igboke was part of the Pentecostal church in the Nnewi area of Anambra State, Nigerian Tribune reported on Saturday.
A relative told reporters that he had financially supported the girlfriend through her university studies.
The relative added that they couldn’t believe “a man of this age and a pastor can do this.”
Igboke was buried last Friday in a bush in his community, the relative said.
A cousin of Igboke, however, has said that the pastor jumped off the building because he was suffering from mental health issues.
The cousin also said the girlfriend did not “betray” him.
“They said he committed suicide because of heartbreak. Meanwhile, the poor girl they maligned stood with the family in the time of grief.
“He was buried in our farmlands not because he committed suicide. But because in our tradition, it’s seen as an abomination for parents to bury their children,” a cousin said on Facebook.
Meanwhile, police said they had not received the suicide report.
“There is no information like that before me, and I want to also thank you for the privileged information. I will escalate this to the police manager within the area for necessary action,” DSP Tochukwu Ikenga said in a statement to Punch.
In 2016, a 49-year-old Nigerian pastor named Bassey died by suicide in his Lagos home, according to News Break. Bassey had been accused by his church members of misusing church funds for personal gain.
He reportedly went to bed at 3 a.m., but at about 5 a.m., used a knife to slit his own throat.
He left a note that said, “I, Myself, not my wife.”
Photo courtesy: ©Getty Images/omersukrugoksu
Amanda Casanova is a writer living in Dallas, Texas. She has covered news for ChristianHeadlines.com since 2014. She has also contributed to The Houston Chronicle, U.S. News and World Report and IBelieve.com. She blogs at The Migraine Runner.
