A popular Nigerian pastor, David Ibiyeomie, has threatened to “skin alive” a broadcaster, Ifedayo Olarinde, who allegedly criticised his (Ibiyeomie) spiritual father, Bishop David Oyedepo, the founder of the Living Faith Church.
Olarinde, also known as Daddy Freeze, who is also the convener of Free the Sheep Movement, is known for his fierce criticisms of Nigerian clergymen.
He had recently criticised Oyedepo over the latter’s comment on marriage.
The bishop had said the only way to a fruitful marriage was total submission on the part of the wife.
But Olarinde said ‘‘The fact that you (Oyedepo) have been married for 30 years doesn’t necessarily make you an expert on marriage. A prisoner in prison for 30 years is still not an expert on the penitentiary system.”
‘‘Also, the fact that you are single, separated, or divorced doesn’t disqualify you from giving marital advice. Paul and Christ gave most of the New Testament advice on marriage and neither was married.”
‘Many religious marriages are endured and not enjoyed. Many pastors are suffering in silence.”
Ibiyeomie, who is the founder and General Overseer of Salvation Ministries with headquarters in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, South South Nigeria, while delivering a sermon on September 6, asked Olarinde to desist from attacking Oyedepo or face his wrath.
The cleric said he would not be alive and watch Olarinde insult Oyedepo, his mentor.
Ibiyeomie had served under Oyedepo’s ministry before establishing the Salvation Ministries in 1997.
He has however remained close to the bishop and he is a regular face at programmes organised by the Living Faith Church, including the annual Shiloh programme at its international headquarters in Ota, Ogun State.
He asked those who knew Olarinde to warn him, adding that he would deal with him when next he insults Oyedepo again.
Describing Olarinde as a “bastard” and a Somalian, Ibiyeomie challenged him to show the world his father.
‘‘If he insults me, I won’t mind; but insult Oyedepo, that bastard who is his father? Does Daddy Freeze have a father? That bastard who was born by a Somalian. The day I hear him insult Oyedepo again I’ll deal with him,” Ibiyeomie said.
‘‘If he has a father let him show us his father’s picture. Someone they gave birth to in a ship. Does he look like a Nigerian? I curse the day he was born.”
‘‘He is insulting my own father and people are laughing. Anybody may not talk but I will talk. I will never be alive and see somebody insult my father. It is not done. You are not born. I will kill you, I will tear you into pieces. Very soon I will arrest him.’’
Ibiyeomie also mocked Olarinde over the latter’s failed marriage and relationships.
‘‘The man who cannot marry. He has no wife. He can’t manage his home. He is coming to talk on television. Is it not his wife who left him? A broadcaster, does he have a good job?” he said.
But responding to Ibiyeomie’s attack on him the following day, Olarinde said contrary to the pastor’s claim he did not insult Oyedepo.
He said in a video he posted on his YouTube channel that he merely drew Oyedepo’s attention to a portion of the bible.
“Correcting the scripture is not an insult. Christ was criticised, Peter was criticized, Paul was criticized, even the Pharisees were criticised, so there’s no way you’re going to preach a message from the scriptures that you’ll not get criticisms,” he noted.
He also said he was “devastated” by the pastor’s video because of the “content”.
Olarinde accused the pastor of racism, discrimination, and threat to life.
He said the term “half-caste” is “racist” and demanded that the pastor should apologise to victims of racism.
He also challenged Ibiyeomie to prove who his Reacting to being called a “bastard” by Mr Ibiyeomie, Freeze said: “You say I’m not my father’s son. I put it to you to prove who my real father is.”
He said it was “devastating that just to get to me, Pastor Ibiyeomie will drag the whole Somalia nation. I’m very proud to associate myself with Somalians because they’re a beautiful people. It is hate speech to undermine them with derogatory words, like there’s anything wrong with the Somalians.”
The broadcaster warned that should anything happened to him Ibiyeomie should be held responsible.
“Pastor Ibiyeomie, I don’t know if you realize that a threat to life is a criminal offence…. If anything happens to me, I hope you know who to hold responsible,” he said.
On Ibiyeomie’s alleged claim that he was being paid a pittance as a radio host, Olarinde said, “You went on again to undermine the noble profession of broadcasting. I’m a proud broadcaster for the last 25 years. I’ve dedicated my life to this beautiful, noble profession. I think you should apologize to every journalist, every broadcaster, for undermining our work.”