Governor Ayodele Fayose of Ekiti State who is also Chairman of the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) Governors’s Forum, early on Wednesday morning averted the attempted arrest of Apostle Johnson Suleiman of the Omega Fire Ministries Worldwide by men of the DSS in from arresting Apostle Johnson Suleiman in Ado Ekiti.
Pastor Suleiman was accused of preaching against Islamizing Nigeria and told members of his church in Auchi, Edo State to resist killings by suspected Fulani herdsmen, accusing them (herdsmen) of targeting Christians for decimation.
It was gathered that Apostle Suleiman who was in Ado Ekiti for a two-day crusade that attended by Fayose was trailed by the DSS after he paid a courtesy visit to Governor Fayose at the Government House to his hotel by the men of the DSS in Adebayo area of Ado Ekiti and the DSS who tried to force their way to his room.
They were however resisted by security men of the hotel who requested to know the mission of the DSS operatives.
It was further gathered that when Apostle Suleiman sensed the danger of the operatives in the hotel, he alerted Governor Fayose to come to his aid.
Governor Fayose then led a rescue mission to prevent the abduction of the Pastor and took him to safety.
At about 2am said, Apostle 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 retaliate any attack or killings by the Fulani herdsmen.
“These Fulani headmen had turned many Christians to orphans and widowers but the time has come to protect ourselves.
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“I received several calls from hidden numbers trying to locate where I am and I had warned my security not to allow any Fulani man to come nearer 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 put this country in fire”.
Expressing expressing surprise that a man of God was been trailed to be arrested by the men of DSS, Fayose said, he expected 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.
“I personally attended his crusade and I think it is wrong for a man of God who is armless that could be invited if they have any issue against him.
“Are Christians and Moslems 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”.
The Governor added that it was unbecoming of the Federal Government to be harassing the clergymen in the country.
He recalled 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.
“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 constitution guarantees freedom of worship”, he said.
END.
