Shepherd-in-charge of Celestial Church of Christ (CCC) Grace of Comfort Parish in Ile-Ife, Osun State, Morris Fadehan, has been killed.
Fadehan was allegedly stabbed by his assistant Lekan Ogundipe, reports say.
Ogundipe was said to have attempted to burn his principal’s body after the fatal stabbing.
Vanguard reports that a security source in Ile-Ife said the suspect, who is now in police custody, had an unresolved argument with Fadehan over an alleged assault on a prophetess on February 21.
The newspaper reports that after starting a fire, the suspect went to a church elder identified as Pa Olafare to raise alarm.
A video of Olafare explaining his side of the story was posted to the church’s social media pages.
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He said, “The deceased had reported to me that he was to disengage Lekan as his assistant over many unlawful acts. Most recent of it include the assault on a prophetess in the church last week Wednesday and I agreed with him, but he added that he will take the decision after consulting with the elders.
“But while I was about eating on Monday evening, the said Lekan came to the house and told me fire is burning on the deceased body and that he was lifeless on the floor, hence, I drove back with him and my wife to the church where we found the deceased body burnt inside the church.
“We discovered blood stained on different parts of his body and cuts, while asking him how he got the stains, he attempted to run, we grabbed him and locked him in my car before calling in the police.
“We unwrapped the deceased body and discovered that there was nail in his ear and several cut on the head and neck before we took the body to the morgue of Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospital, Ile-Ife.
“Meanwhile, Lekan later confessed to the police that he perpetrated the illegal acts because of a dispute with the deceased.”
Spokesperson of Osun State Police Command Yemisi Opalola said, “The suspect is in custody. The police visited the scene, and the body was found in a pool of blood. Several bruises were discovered on the body, hence, it was taken to Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospital for an autopsy.”
