(UPDATE): Apostle Suleiman says attack targeted him

The General Overseer of the Omega Fire Ministry, Auchi, Edo State, Apostle Jonson Suleiman, has said that the Friday evening attack on his convoy by some hoodlums was targeted at him.

Tribune Online can authoritatively confirm that contrary to the account by the Edo Police Command that the cleric was attacked by the yet-to-be-identified gunmen in his home, the fiery preacher was attacked on the road at a spot close to Warrake in Owan East Local Government Area of the state.

Apostle Suleiman confirmed this in two separate videos he posted after the incident.

In the first video, a 13-second piece recorded in his expanse home in Auchi, the cleric could be heard saying: “It is a direct shooting, direct shooting. It is a direct shooting. They just waited for me”.

In the video, the preacher, who could be heard in the voiceover, shows the bulletproof jeep that he drove in when he was attacked, just as a female is seen on the ground saying: “Thank you Jesus”.

The vehicle, a Sports Utility Van, SUV, is riddled with bullets.

During the attack, three policemen attached to Suleiman were shot dead, while two male civilians and a female domestic hand were also killed.

Residents of the area, in an earlier video of the incident, said that the shooting occurred at Water Tanker Junction,  Warrake Road, Auchi at about 5pm on Friday

According to eyewitnesses, the yet-to-be-identified daredevils, numbering about six ambushed the Apostle’s convoy with an ash-coloured Sienna vehicle with an unknown number plate and a Toyota Avalon Car and opened fire upon sighting the convoy of the clergyman.

The villagers, who witnessed the attack said that the two unmarked vehicles blocked all other vehicles and manoeuvred their way to meet Suleman’s convoy and opened fire on him.

The legal adviser to the Ministry, Sam Amune while confirming the incident said “I think it is a case of an assassination attempt because the assailants who were in an Avalon and Sienna vehicles stopped other vehicles to reach Apostle Suleman’s convoy and they did not take anybody, the people just stopped and watched the drama unfolded.

“He just finished a programme in Tanzania the day before yesterday and flew to Lagos and then to Benin where his family joined him. His children normally drive in a separate vehicle but this time they drove with their father while other domestic staff drove in their vehicle. 

“He barely escaped death but the others were not lucky, three orderlies who normally drive directly behind him and then the next vehicle were not lucky.

“It is very unfortunate to lose those lives,” Amune said.

It was also gathered that Suleiman’s children, who were said to usually travel in a separate vehicle, on Friday joined their father in his car with his wife and the vehicle was targeted after Suleman’s vehicle which was leading the convoy escaped the suspected assassins.

To further confirm that the attack happened on the road, the Omega Fire Ministry founder posted another video, where he gave details of what happened, tracing his travails to 2017.

In the second video, one minute and 50 seconds recording, Suleiman said that the attack on him was an assassination attempt because he survived the series of sandals that were targeted at his person.

The transcript of the video is as reported below:

“Since 2017, there are certain things that have been happening, that I have been quiet about. Even if you are the most careless person on earth, you will not give yourself to so many scandals. There are things people don’t know, even though one or two people along the lines took advantage of that to just come out and say one or two things.

“But the reason I am coming out to speak now is that they have done all that and discovered that I am still moving on. They decided to make an attempt at my life. I just escaped an assassination attempt, where seven people were killed.

“My car was attacked, they opened fire in my car and kept spraying it with bullets and my wife and kids were there. The escort car was the police. They killed the policeman. They killed the other people, the other police bus. There were seven people. They were all moving in a convoy, they were killed.

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“People who did this expect me to come out, mention their names so that they come out and deny. I won’t do that. 

“But the truth of the matter is this, you can’t kill me. My life is in the hands of God and those who are among those who are attacking me, you are building on what don’t understand….”

“I am alive for those who have been calling and all that. I am well. My family is fine. I feel bad for the lives that have been taken. We are mourning but Jesus is Lord. And for all those they killed, may their souls rest in peace.

“And the young men who opened fire and keep wasting people, I won’t take their lives. But the seeds that you sow, they will reap it. 

“I want Nigerians to know that a coordinated lie swallows an uncoordinated truth. But with time, the truth will come out”

Meanwhile, the Edo Police Command, spokesman, Chidi Nwabuzor while confirming the incident, said “The attack on Johnson Suleman was actually true, confirmed. 

“He was attacked by hoodlums yet unknown at about 5 pm (1700 hours ). He was attacked at home. 

“As we speak, two of his drivers were murdered, three policemen murdered, one female househelp murdered, one missing. 

“Upon alarm raised, police moved to the scene, gunned down one of hoodlums and recovered one of the vehicles used. 

 “Currently, Appostle Suleiman is safe and sound”.