Society Gists

Governor Ayodele Fayose of Ekiti State and Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Governor’s Forum, Mr Ayodele Fayose, early on Wednesday morning, foiled an alleged attempt by operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) from arresting Apostle Johnson Suleiman of The Omega Fire Ministries Worldwide, who is in Ado Ekiti for a crusade.

The DSS operatives were said to have laid siege on the preacher’s hotel, waiting for him to arrive there from the day’s programme, which was attended by Fayose.

Sulaiman was alleged to have preached against alleged plots to Islamise Nigeria and had told members of his church in Auchi, Edo State to fight back should they be attack by herdsmen, who he alleged of targeting Christians for decimation.

He allegedly told his followers to fight if they remain unprotected from the marauders and kill them should they enter their church.

The Pastor had been in Ado Ekiti for a two-day crusade and was allegedly trailed after paying a courtesy visit to the governor at the Government House.

The state agents were said to have attempted to forcefully take the preacher from his hotel room in the Adebayo area of the state capital, but were resisted by the security men at the hotel, who insisted on knowing their mission.

The Pastor was alerted and he  called on Governor Fayose who personally led a rescue mission to prevent the DSS operatives from taking the preacher away.

Fayose took the Pastor with him from the hotel for safety and was said to have engaged the security operatives in a verbal altercation on the propriety of their mission.

Narrating his ordeal after being rescued at 2:00 am on Wednesday, Apostle Sulaiman 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 retaliate any attack or killings by the Fulani herdsmen. These Fulani headmen have turned many Christians to orphans and widowers but the time has come to protect ourselves.

“I received several calls from hidden numbers trying to locate where I was and I had warned my security not to allow any Fulani man to come near me. So when the men of DSS came in the middle of the night, I knew their mission and I had to call the Governor because if they arrest me, they will set this country on fire.”

Governor Fayose, who expressed surprise and dismay over the development, said he expected the security operatives to have invited 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 said: “I personally attended his crusade and I think it is wrong for a man of God who is armless and could be invited if they have any issue against him before arresting him. Are Christians and Muslims under different dispensation of the rule of law? That’s why I went there to rescue him. Let them kill two of us together. But when they saw my vehicles and the crowd, they fled.

“But we have information that instructions came from DSS in Abuja that the Pastor should be arrested. We are not in a fascist state, Federal Government must learn to respect the rights of Nigerians and freedom of expression.”

Governor Fayose noted that it was unbecoming of the Federal Government to be harassing the clergymen in the country noting that the General Overseer of Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), Pastor Enoch Adeboye, was harassed and forced to resign shortly after he visited him in Ado Ekiti.

He said, “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.”

The governor also warned security operatives against intimidation and arrest of men of God in the interest of peace and religious harmony in the country. The constitution guarantees freedom of worship.”