Family Breaks Silence: Pastor’s suicide linked to mental health, not romance
The family of Pastor Prosper Igboke, who tragically lost his life in Anambra State, has come forward to clarify the circumstances surrounding his death, refuting rumours that he took his own life due to relationship issues.
Previously, it was reported that Pastor Prosper Igboke, who served as a pastor at a Pentecostal church in Nnewi, Anambra State, had ended his life after his girlfriend declined his marriage proposal, despite his support in funding her university education.
He was reported to have jumped from a two-story building, resulting in his untimely demise.
A relative, who confirmed the incident, stated, “The incident happened last month. The man (Igboke) was 30 years old at the time of his death. His girlfriend, whom he intended to marry disappointed him after seeing her through the university.
“He jumped down from a two-storey building and died. I am surprised that a man of this age and a pastor can do this.”
The relative also revealed that, in accordance with their village tradition, the clergyman, originally from Leru community in Umunneochi Local Government Area, Abia State, was buried in a forest, considered a ‘sacrilegious’ act due to the nature of his demise.
READ ALSO: Pastor jumps down from two-storey building over heartbreak
However, a maternal cousin of the deceased, Promise Ikpe, took to Facebook to dispel the viral reports and shed light on the actual events leading to his death.
Ikpe clarified, “I did this post to correct some of the false narratives flying around.”
“This is the report of what happened prior to his death. Prosper went for a ministration in Nnewi, and when he came back, he had lost his senses, he wasn’t mentally coordinated.
“No one knew why. His pastor locked him up and asked some people to watch over him while he went to a meeting instead of taking him to a hospital to find out why he wasn’t mentally coordinated.
“Prosper jumped from the window of the room he was locked in. His pastor refused to give us his phone to investigate what happened to date. Pastor said Prosper had gifted him the phone.”
Another cousin of the deceased, Chikwendu Anugba, also took to Facebook to provide clarity on the situation.
He wrote, “Blogs went to market with the story that Obum committed suicide because he was jilted by his girlfriend who he trained in the university.
“I was wondering when he became rich and we didn’t know. Because the story did fit into certain narratives, the agendaists picked it up and ran without looking back. 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.
“It is the duty of children to bury their parents. When a single man or woman dies, the corpse is buried far from the village so the grave won’t be a source of grief for his parents.”
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