Suspect Admits to Plotting Assassination of Apostle Suleman.

 

Police authorities have made an arrest in connection with the attack on Apostle Johnson Suleman, the senior pastor and General Overseer of Omega Fire Ministries Worldwide, which occurred nine months ago on the Benin-Auchi Road in Edo State. The suspect, Yusuf Isah, a 32-year-old man who claimed to be one of the attackers, has been taken into custody.

The incident, which took place in October 2022, involved a group of gunmen who ambushed the pastor's convoy and used sophisticated firearms. Tragically, six individuals, including three police officers, lost their lives during the attack. Isah, a plumber from Okene, Kogi State, revealed to reporters that their intention was to assassinate the pastor.

According to the suspect's confession, he joined the ruthless gang in 2021 after being released from the Olokuta Correctional Centre, where he had been held in remand since 2019 for his alleged involvement in armed robbery. Isah disclosed that their plan on October 21, 2022, was to forcibly abduct the Apostle and demand a substantial ransom.

“We had trailed him for days and planted an informant on the Benin – Auchi express road to feed us updates on his itinerary on the day of the attack.

“I was the one who first opened fire on the convoy upon its approach but he managed to escape the attack. The attack was actually to assassinate him, although I was not part of the meeting. Ilyasu and two other people were part of that meeting.”

In Abuja, the spokesperson for the Force, Muyiwa Adejobi, announced that Isah, a suspect, was paraded by the Intelligence Rapid Team (IRT) after a thorough investigation. Isah, residing at Agbaraoluwa Phase 2 Ijoka, Akure, Ondo State, was apprehended, and a significant amount of weapons and ammunition were discovered in his residence, including five Ak47 rifles, two K2 Assault rifles, 180 live ammunition, and four suspected improvised explosive devices (IEDs).

Adejobi stated that investigations uncovered Isah's involvement in a seven-member gang responsible for attacking the convoy of the Apostle. Furthermore, some of the rifles found in his possession were identified as the ones taken from the three police officers who were killed during the attack on October 21, 2022. The police are actively pursuing the remaining suspects who are still at large.