Bishop Shina Olaribigbe of Rapture Empowerment International, Osogbo, Osun State, was in the early hours of Thursday stabbed to death while settling a fight between a couple.
Although information about the couple involved was not immediately available, security sources told our correspondent that the lady fighting her husband was attending Olaribigbe’s church in the BCGA area, where she worked as an interpreter.
Chronicle NG also learnt that the couple had a history of incessant fights, which made them live apart, even though they were not officially divorced.
The cause of the latest fight was, however, not known, but the late Olaribigbe, it was learnt, always mediated in their fights.
The cause of the most recent battle was unknown, although the late Olaribigbe was known to always mediate in their conflicts.
It was also revealed that the husband had gone to his wife’s house in the early hours of Thursday and saw Olaribigbe in the room, which enraged him.
Speaking on the condition of anonymity, a source who attends the bishop’s church said, It was in that anger that the man took a knife and stabbed the clergy in the chest. He died immediately. Olaribigbe had gone to the house to see the woman, who had been sick for some time.
“The man and his wife were immediately arrested and taken to the Dugbe Police Division in Osogbo, where they are currently being detained.
“The remains of Olaribigbe had been deposited at the mortuary of UNIOSUN Teaching Hospital, Osogbo.”
The Osun Police Command Public Relations Officer, Yemisi Opalola, confirmed the incident.
Opalola said, “They are a couple but not living together. They are not separated by law yet. The pastor (Shina Olaribigbe) used to settle the fight between the couple.
“We were told the pastor was at the wife’s place today when the estranged husband got there. We were also told the husband stabbed the pastor. We were also told the deceased was on the wife’s bed when the incident happened.
“The husband stabbed him several times, and he died. It was learnt the husband acted on the suspicion that the pastor was sleeping with the woman.”
