Pastor commits suicide after girlfriend rejects proposal: The lead pastor of a Pentecostal church in the Nnewi area of Anambra State, Nigeria has allegedly committed suicide after his girlfriend rejected his marriage proposal.
The 30-year-old pastor pastor identified as Prosper Obum Igboke reportedly jumped from a two-story building and died instantly after he was allegedly jilted by his lover, Nigerian Tribune reported Saturday.
A relative of the deceased spoke to reporters saying the man had trained his lover at the university before she turned down his marriage proposal. The relative who also disclosed that the incident happened last month further expressed surprise “that a man of this age and a pastor can do this.”
Pastor Igboke was a native of the Leru community in Umunneochi Local Government Area, Abia State. According to the tradition of the Leru autonomous community, individuals who die by suicide are buried in a forest for committing sacrilege.
The relative further said that Igboke was buried last Friday in a bush in his community.
However, when contacted, the state police spokesman, DSP Tochukwu Ikenga, said the incident was not brought before the police command, Punch reported
“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, please,” Ikenga said in a statement to Punch.
According to reports, the deceased supported his lover financially and emotionally throughout her academic career. The relative who spoke to the journalist claimed that Igbokwe was disappointed by the rejection and took dramatic measures as a result.
The incident has prompted inquiries into possible social expectations and pressures that may have led to this unfortunate occurrence. However, as of now, the police have not initiated an official investigation into the matter.