The murder of Bishop Shina Olaribigbe in Osun State, which made headlines on Thursday, has generated half-truths and attracted divided public opinions as the authorities are yet to dismiss the rumours.
Olaribigbe was the founder of Rapture Empowerment International in Osogbo. FIJ found that the bishop’s death itself is not the crux of the controversy but the circumstances surrounding it.
Reports suggest that the bishop was either stabbed to death by a man who accused the clergyman of having an affair with his wife or while intervening in a domestic dispute between the man and his wife.
The wife was an interpreter in Olaribigbe’s church.
According to a report by The Punch, Olaribigbe was a peacemaking bishop who met his tragic end in the early hours of Thursday during a couple’s fight in Osogbo.
Late Bishop Shina Olaribigbe
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It was reported that the husband picked up a knife in a fit of rage and stabbed the bishop.
The Nation reported that the bishop was killed over suspicion of sleeping with a married woman.
Checks through different reports indicate that the husband and wife lived apart because of their history of frequent fights. They were, however, not officially divorced.
The bishop had gone to visit the man’s wife.
Then the husband arrived at the residence early Thursday morning and found Olaribigbe in the room. Some reports stated that the bishop was on the wife’s bed in a compromising position.
FIJ learnt that the couple was in the custody of the Dugbe Police Division in Osogbo.
Yemisi Opalola, the spokesperson for the State Police Command, could not be reached for comments on Friday afternoon as phone calls went unanswered.
Some reports quoted the police spokesperson as saying, “We were told that the husband stabbed the pastor multiple times, killing him. There is suspicion that the husband believed the pastor was having an affair with his wife.”
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SOCIAL MEDIA REACTIONS
On Facebook, there were divided opinions on the news of the bishop’s death and the circumstances surrounding the murder.
While many argued that he should not have visited a married woman’s home alone, others claimed that there was more to the visit than meets the eye. Also, some condemned the husband for taking the law into his hands as others emphasised the importance of caution and wisdom when intervening in marital disputes.
Stephen Olayemi, a Facebook user, wrote: “Pastors that don’t allow other men’s wives to be must learn some lessons here. How can a pastor visit a married woman alone, his interpreter for that matter? Are there no mummy GO or other church elders to follow the pastor there? For this man, what he loves to eat is what kpaied him.”
On the part of Elman Mary, the bishop could have been the main reason for the couple’s fight. “Maybe the Bishop is the main reason for the fight in the first place. One of the aggrieved took the chance to kill him. May his soul rest in peace and may God console his family and friends. Amen,” she wrote.
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Ehirim Odiwomma wondered whether the bishop was the cause of the fight, saying, “Maybe the man might be harbouring hate and rage towards him.” Olabisi Oluwasanmi’s comment reads: “Some clergies sleep with their followers’ wives hiding under the pretence of settling their domestic violence. Pastors and Imams are not God. We are all human beings.”
More speculations have followed this case, but none confirmed to be facts. The police failed to respond to FIJ’s inquiry on the matter.
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