How Fayose Saved Pastor Suleiman From Being Shamed and Arrested by DSS Operatives

 

The real details how the Ekiti State Governor, Ayodele Fayose, in the early hours of Wednesday, prevented the operatives of the Department of State Services from arresting the Founder of The Omega Fire Ministries Worldwide, Apostle Johnson Suleiman, in Ado Ekiti has been revealed.

 

The incident happened while the man of God was in Ekiti for a two-day crusade that began on Tuesday. Suleiman who had asked members of his church to defend themselves incase of any attack by Fulani herdsmen as the government was unable to protect them. 

 

However, the message he preached was allegedly misinterpreted and men of the DSS came after him. Fayose who attended the first day of the crusade was said to have received a distress call from the pastor after operatives of the DSS stormed the hotel room of the pastor in the Adebayo area of the State capital and attempted to force their way to his room.

 

The security men of the hotel refused them access to the pastor's room and insisted on knowing their mission. The pastor them put a call through to Fayose of the situation. Minutes later, Fayose led a rescue mission to the hotel and saved the pastor from being arrested by the operatives.

 

Narrating how the incident happened, Suleiman said, “I came to Ado Ekiti for a crusade; but I had a premonition that I was being trailed after I preached that Christians should revenge any attack or killings by the Fulani herdsmen.

 

While criticizing the DSS for ambushing the man of Godduring a crusade, Fayose said he expected the security agency to show decorum.

 

The governor added, “I expect the security operatives to invite him if they have any issue with him instead of arresting him in the dead of the night after a powerful and spirit-filled crusade in my state.

 

The governor expressed concerns that the Federal Government was championing a cause to harass clergymen in the country, noting that the General Overseer of Redeemed Christian Church of God, Pastor Enoch Adeboye, was harassed and forced to resign shortly after he visited him in Ado Ekiti.

 

“This is unacceptable. We are in a democracy and Nigerians should warn the Presidency against putting this country on fire because religion is an emotional thing,” he said.

Fayose also warned security operatives against intimidating and arresting men of God in the interest of peace and religious harmony in the country, stressing that 'the constitution guarantees freedom of worship'.

 

Suleiman later denied instructing Christians in a his sermon to go after Muslims and kill them. He said people misunderstood him and only asked Christians to defend themselves.

 

He said, “They said I preached in Auchi two weeks ago, which they said implied that I was instigating Christians against Muslims. I have always been an advocate of peace and I can’t stay around and be saying such. There are widows and orphans that we take care of. No leader will see his shepherds being killed and be happy.

He added, “If this will make them to clarify what I meant, I can present the video of my preaching. A town in Aviele in Edo State, Muslims rushed into the church and chased away all church members.

He believed the continuous killings in Kaduna underscored the insinuations that there was a deliberate attempt in the country to frustrate Christians.

“This Kaduna crisis confirms that there is a deliberate attempt to frustrate Christians. The National Assembly must not fold their arms and see this happen. But I have no grudge against Buhari or the DSS. They are only doing their job, but the DSS did it wrongly,” he said.

 

Many people had said it would have been a big embarrassment and shame for a man of God to be arrested while he was holding a crusade as his church members would have been left in disarray.