Some residents of Omitoto in Ile-Ife, Osun State, have narrated how Morris Fadehan, the shepherd of Grace of Comfort Parish, a Celestial Church of Christ branch in the area, died in the hands of his assistant.

According to an Omitoto resident, who simply wished to be identified as Felicia, Fadehan was murdered on the church premises by one Lekan Ogundipe, his second-in-command in the parish, on Monday morning.

“On Monday, the shepherd (Fadehan) was alone in the church, praying before the altar, when Lekan suddenly attacked him from behind,” Felicia told FIJ in Yoruba.

“He first tried covering the shepherd’s face with a garment, but that led to a physical struggle between the two of them. The shepherd was quite elderly, and as a result of this, Lekan managed to overpower him.

READ ALSO: EMS Nigeria Can’t Find ‘Expensive’ Package Sent to the US in December

“He (Lekan) then picked up a screwdriver and stabbed the shepherd in the face. Fadehan died instantly. After this, he poured petrol on the pastor and set him ablaze.”

After setting Fadehan ablaze, Lekan was said to have called an elderly member of the church, claiming that the shepherd “was on fire”.

“When people arrived at the scene, they immediately discovered that it was not just a case of fire burning the shepherd. He had actually first killed the elderly pastor before setting him ablaze so it would look like a fire accident,” Felicia said.

“People were able to notice this with the help of the blood-stained dress Lekan wore. The police were informed of the incident, and he was then taken away.”

DATING ISSUES INVOLVING A FEMALE CHURCH MEMBER

Felicia told FIJ that she believed Lekan killed Fadehan because of “a romantic interest he had in a female church member”.

READ ALSO: ‘This Letter Looks Forged!’ — Nigerian Journalist Recounts Being Humiliated at Ethiopian Embassy

“There is this lady prophetess in the parish that Lekan has a love interest in,” Felicia said.

“As a matter of fact, he (Lekan) would go about telling people that he was already in a relationship with the lady. In actual truth, however, he had not even wooed the lady.

“When the lady got wind of what Lekan had been telling other members of the parish, she told him to stop peddling fake news about her. The lady also told him, point blank, that she would never date him.

“This led to a disagreement between the two of them. Last Wednesday, the same Lekan physically assaulted the woman, biting her in the process.

“His actions really angered the shepherd, who resolved to take disciplinary action by first collecting the key to the doors of the church from him. The pastor took that action on Sunday.

“I also heard that there is another elderly member of the church who is interested in dating or is even planning to marry the prophetess. It seems the shepherd really favoured the elderly suitor to marry the prophetess and this did not go down well with the second-in-command.

“I think he felt the shepherd should have favoured him over the other elderly member on the matter.”

Felicia added that Fadehan was also a mentor to the female church member, apart from being the shepherd of the church.

READ ALSO: 17 Years After Arriving in the UK, Nigerian Homeless Over Visa Issues

“I believe Lekan felt embittered by the matter because he knew the lady would choose to go into a relationship with the elderly member the moment the shepherd approved of it. He was her mentor and she took his advice a lot.”

‘FADEHAN WAS DATING THE LADY‘

Another Omitoto resident, who asked not to be named, told FIJ that Lekan killed Fadehan because “he found out he was dating his lover”.

“I am not a member of the church, but what I gathered was that the Omo Lefi (Lekan) learned that the shepherd was dating his girlfriend, who also happened to be a member of the church, and he decided to confront his superior on the matter on Monday morning,” the resident said.

“The matter then degenerated into a fight and the assistant killed him in the process.

“Things are really happening in Ife!”

NOBODY HAS THE RIGHT TO TAKE ANYBODY’S LIFE!

“I am not sure I would like to talk to you about the circumstances that led to the murder of the shepherd,” said another resident, who also asked not to be named.

“What I, however, know is that nobody has the right to take anybody’s life. I am yet to come to terms with the fact that somebody who spent most of his days in the church would be so angered to the point of killing another person.

READ ALSO: Nigerian-Born British Police Inspector in Racism Row

“No amount of anger should drive a man into taking another man’s life. I hope the police will investigate the matter thoroughly and then ensure that justice is served.

“The prophet was a well loved person in the area. May his soul rest in peace.”

THE POLICE

On Tuesday, Yemisi Opalola, Osun State Police spokesperson, confirmed the incident, stating that the police had already commenced an investigation into the matter.

Meanwhile, the body of the 65-year-old shepherd has since been taken to the Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospital morgue for autopsy.