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Apostle Suleman: Police Weigh Multiple Pointers To Assassination Attempt

Published

3 years ago

October 29, 2022

Editor

Some security insights have been provided on the recent attempted assassination of a frontline Edo-based cleric, Apostle Johnson Suleiman of the Omega Fire Ministries

The convoy of the General Overseer of Omega Power Ministries (OPM) Auchi, Apostle Suleman was last Friday attacked by unknown gunmen along the Benin Auchi Road, Edo State.

The cleric was said to be heading to Edo State after a foreign trip to Tanzania when the gunmen opened fire on his convoy.

Six persons, including policemen and Suleman’s drivers were said to have been killed during the attack.

The cleric, who described the incident as an assassination attempt, alluded to “certain things” happening since 2017.

This appeared to be a reference to the various sex scandals involving him.

He was quoted as saying “Since 2017, there are certain things that have been happening that I have been quiet about. There are things people don’t know, even though one or two people, along the line, took advantage of that to just come out and say one or two things.”

Suleman further explained that he is speaking up because they’ve done a lot and discovered that he is still moving on and have now decided to make an attempt on his life.

What transpired in 2017

In 2017, Suleman may have had multiple issues ranging from controversial preaching to political issues and a host of others

But one incident that was prominent was the issue of Stephanie Otobo, a Canadian based Nigerian singer, who accused the man of God of impregnating and dumping her.

Otobo had alleged that they were in a romantic relationship and had travelled far and wide. She also alleged that the cleric promised to marry her.

She had also claimed that she had no knowledge the apostle was married because he concealed his marital status from her.

In a petition through her lawyer, Festus Keyamo, Otobo whose stage name is Kimora, alleged that the romantic affair began in Canada in the year 2015. She also accused Suleman of illegal procurement of abortion, threat to life, and attempted murder.

Otobo further released an image of Suleman in an alleged romantic chat with her, but the cleric denied and described the photograph as fake and photoshopped.

At one point, Stephanie made a u-turn and apologised to the pastor at his church, saying she was paid to defame the pastor.

According to the Singer, some “very strong and powerful politicians and pastors” deceived her, and she succumbed to the manipulation because they told her it would help her career.

However, in 2022 Otobo returned with a fresh allegation that she went to apostle Suleman’s church to apologise under duress.

Otobo narrated that she was tired of the court processes and stress and also claimed that the cleric’s media aide, Phrank Shuaibu, had approached and promised her that the case would be settled if she made the open confession.

Herdsmen Criticism

Apostle Suleman has been a fierce critic of the killings by suspected Fulani herdsmen in parts of the country.

He had also in the past instructed his security aides to kill any Fulani herdsman who comes around his church premises after he claimed that someone had informed him of the plot to attack his church.

Many have been killed in the past during clashes between the cattle-herding Fulani indigenes and some communities that practice a mix of farming and cattle rearing. The clashes are due to disputes centred around land use.

Halima Abubakar’s sex scandal

Again, in September 2022 the self acclaimed prophet was involved in yet another sex scandal.

Nollywood actress, Halima Abubakar admitted to having a sexual relationship with Apostle Suleman.

Halima opened up on her affair with the cleric after reports emerged on social media that Suleman had an affair with a host of Nigerian actresses including Georgina Onuoha, Queen Nwokoye, Shan George, and Vivian Metchie.

Suleman had in reaction to the viral post described the list as an unrealistic litany of names curated to bring him down, However in a surprising twist, Halima Abubakar took to her Instagram to call him out.

The actress who was subjected to heavy criticism claimed that she only agreed to date him at the time because he told her he had separated from his wife.

He, however, filed a suit through his lawyer, accusing the actress who is currently battling an undisclosed ailment of defamation, blackmail and publishing demeaning statements about him.

Shortly after she told the cleric that they will meet in court, the actress announced that she had quit acting to ‘rejuvenate and continue healing’.

Killing of Suspected attacker

The Apostle’s allegation that some persons were after his life may have been justified after he raised the alarm that one of the gunmen who attacked his convoy was killed by the police to cover up some people.

Suleman, while condemning the killing, slammed the police for killing the arrested prime suspect.

According to him, the suspect who was captured alive was hurriedly killed in order to frustrate investigation and erase all evidence that could lead to the arrest of his attackers.

But, in reaction, the Edo State Commissioner of Police, Abutu Yaro, directed the withdrawal of the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) of the Auchi Police Station, Ayodele Suleiman.

Yaro said the decision was taken to unravel the circumstances that led to the death of one of the surviving members of the gang.

However, sources say it is difficult to pinpoint the actual source of the attack on Apostle Suleman because of the multiple crises or battles he has engaged in the recent past.

Asked if Apostle Suleman’s public condemnation of the incessant killings by herdsmen across the country may have led to the assassination attempt on the cleric, an Abuja security expert, Dr. Abigail Uwanta, said the situation should not be completely seen that way.

According to her, “As a security monitoring expert, I will not look at it that way. Our major problem here in Nigeria is that cases are not being properly investigated to come to reasonable conclusions. Once something like this happens, we say thank God the victim survived and that’s it. Even the police and other security agencies would not take it upon themselves to get to the end of the matter. I think this is why people resort to speculation.

”In this particular case anything is possible. It could be terrorists, it could be someone who wants him out of the way. Him as an individual, it’s not everything he does that comes to public notice. Who knows where he goes and the people he meets there. He may have stepped on someone’s toes. That’s why I said anything is possible. It would be wrong but not totally out of place to link it to Fulani herdsmen.”

DAILY POST reports that as of the time of this report, the police are yet to make their findings public.

Headline

Trump Administration Proposes New Rule Limiting Nigerians, Others

Published

16 hours ago

August 28, 2025

Editor

The Trump administration has unveiled a proposal that would restrict the length of time international students can remain in the United States for their studies.

According to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the regulation, which is expected to be published on Thursday, would impose a four-year cap on student visas and other categories of temporary admissions.

According to Fox News, the DHS said the proposal is part of efforts to curb “visa abuse” and strengthen the government’s ability to “properly vet and oversee these individuals.”

It added that some students have “taken advantage of U.S. generosity” and become “forever” students by staying enrolled in colleges to prolong their residence.

“For too long, past Administrations have allowed foreign students and other visa holders to remain in the U.S. virtually indefinitely, posing safety risks, costing untold amount of taxpayer dollars, and disadvantaging U.S. citizens,” a DHS spokesperson stated.

“This new proposed rule would end that abuse once and for all by limiting the amount of time certain visa holders are allowed to remain in the U.S., easing the burden on the federal government to properly oversee foreign students and their history,” the spokesperson continued.

Currently, F visa holders may stay in the U.S. for the “duration of status,” meaning the period they are enrolled full-time. The new proposal would allow stays for the length of a programme but would not permit them to exceed four years, generally less than the time needed for postgraduate studies.

Foreign journalists would also be affected. Under the plan, they would receive an initial admission period of 240 days, with the possibility of a single extension for another 240 days, but not longer than their assignment.

The DHS said regular assessments would provide “proper oversight” and help reduce the number of people residing in the U.S. on temporary visas.

But education experts warned the measure could hurt universities financially. International students typically pay higher tuition and have fewer opportunities for scholarships, which contributes significantly to the financial support of American colleges.

“It will certainly act as an additional deterrent to international students choosing to study in the United States, to the detriment of American economies, innovation, and global competitiveness,” Fanta Aw, executive director and CEO of NAFSA: Association of International Educators, said in a statement to Politico.

Headline

Russia Hits Ukraine With ‘Massive’ Deadly Overnight Strikes

Published

20 hours ago

August 28, 2025

Editor

Russian forces launched a “massive” attack on Kyiv on Thursday, hitting the Ukrainian capital with strikes that killed at least four people and wounded around 30 others, Ukrainian officials said.

The attack came as Moscow and Kyiv traded blame over an impasse in diplomatic efforts towards a peace deal spearheaded by US President Donald Trump.

AFP journalists in Kyiv witnessed powerful explosions that illuminated the night sky and left behind a column of smoke.

Ukraine’s Interior Minister Igor Klymenko said the strikes killed four people and wounded “about 30 people.”

Those killed included a 14-year-old girl, while five children aged seven to 17 were among those who sustained “injuries of varying severity,” Tymur Tkachenko, the head of the city’s military administration, said.

Mayor Vitali Klitschko described the strikes as a “massive attack” that caused damage in several districts of the capital.

Tkachenko said Moscow had fired ballistic and cruise missiles as well as Iranian-designed Shahed drones from different directions to “systematically” target residential buildings.

Red tracer bullets sailed through the night sky in an effort to intercept drones above the city centre, an AFP journalist saw. At least one missile appeared to be shot down.

Around 100 people took refuge in a subway station, with some lying in sleeping bags and others holding their pets.

A five-story building in the Darnytsky district had collapsed, and a shopping mall was hit in the city centre, Klitschko reported.

– Ukrainian attacks on Russia –
Kyiv suffered one of its worst attacks of the over three-year war on July 31, leaving more than 30 people dead including five children.

Ukrainian officials also reported a Russian strike in the southeastern Zaporizhzhia region on Thursday.

Russian authorities said they destroyed over 100 Ukrainian drones overnight. A Ukrainian attack sparked a fire at an oil refinery in the Krasnodar region but caused no casualties, according to local officials.

Russian forces have been slowly but steadily gaining ground in Ukraine in recent months, as diplomatic efforts have accelerated.

Trump held a high-profile summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska this month, followed by a meeting with his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky and European allies.

But there has been little progress since then.

Before concluding any peace agreement, Ukraine wants security guarantees from the West to deter any future Russian attacks.

Moscow has cast Kyiv’s demands as unrealistic and has raised particular objection to the notion of stationing Western peacekeeping troops in Ukraine.

Zelensky said on Wednesday that members of his administration would meet with US officials in New York on Friday.

The Ukrainian leader said he saw “very arrogant and negative signals from Moscow regarding the negotiations”, urging extra “pressure” to “force Russia to take real steps”.

AFP

Headline

Two US Pastors Arrested In $50m Human Trafficking, Fraud Case

Published

20 hours ago

August 28, 2025

Editor

Two church leaders in the United States have been arrested in an alleged multi-million-dollar conspiracy after multiple Federal Bureau of Investigation raids across the country on Wednesday, including one in Hillsborough County’s exclusive Avila neighborhood.

In a statement issued via its website on Wednesday, the U.S. Department of Justice said Michelle Brannon, 56, was arrested at a mansion near Tampa, while David Taylor, 53, was arrested in North Carolina over allegations of multi-million dollar money laundering, forced labour and human trafficking.

According to the DOJ, Taylor and Brannon are the leaders of Kingdom of God Global Church, formerly known as Joshua Media Ministries International.

The Justice Department said Taylor referred to himself as “Apostle” and to Brannon as his Executive Director.

FBI officials said law enforcement arrested Brannon early Wednesday at 706 Guisando De Avila in Hillsborough County, which is owned by the church, according to property records.

Investigators arrested Taylor on Wednesday morning in North Carolina, while SWAT and FBI agents also raided a hotel owned by the church in Houston.

A 10-count indictment alleged that Taylor and Brannon ran call centres in Florida, Texas, Missouri, and Michigan to solicit donations to the church.

The pair convinced their victims to work at the call centres and work for Taylor as personal servants – referred to as “armour bearers” – for long hours without pay, according to the indictment.

Federal investigators said Taylor and Brannon “controlled every aspect of the daily living of their victims,” who slept at the call centre or in a “ministry” house and were not allowed to leave without permission.

The indictment also says the suspects forced the victims to transport women to Taylor and ensure that those women took Plan B emergency contraceptives.

The church received about $50 million in donations through its call centres dating back to 2014, according to the DOJ.

Taylor and Brannon are accused of using much of that money to buy luxury properties, luxury vehicles, and sporting equipment such as boats, jet skis, and ATVs.

Taylor and Brannon face charges of forced labour, conspiracy to commit forced labour, and conspiracy to commit money laundering.

Each alleged crime carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison.

A federal grand jury in the Eastern District of Michigan returned a 10-count indictment against two defendants for their alleged roles in a forced labour and money laundering conspiracy that victimised individuals in Michigan, Florida, Texas, and Missouri.

Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division said the two defendants were arrested in North Carolina and Florida in a nationwide takedown of their forced labour organistion.

“Combating human trafficking is a top priority for the Department of Justice.

“We are committed to relentlessly pursuing and ending this scourge and obtaining justice for the victims,” he said.

Also speaking, U.S. Attorney Jerome Gorgon Jr. for the Eastern District of Michigan, said, “We will use every lawful tool against human traffickers and seek justice for their victims.

“A case like this is only possible through a concerted effort with our federal partners across the country and the non-governmental agencies who provide victim support. We thank them all.”

“The indictment of David Taylor and Michelle Brannon demonstrates the FBI’s steadfast efforts to protect the American people from human exploitation and financial crimes, including forced labour and money laundering.

“The alleged actions are deeply troubling. I want to thank the members of the FBI Detroit Field Office, with strong support from our federal and agency partners in the FBI Tampa Field Office, FBI Jacksonville Field Office, FBI St. Louis Field Office, FBI Charlotte Field Office, FBI Houston Field Office, and the Detroit IRS-CI Field Office, in addition to several local, county and state law enforcement partners, for their role in executing this multi-state operation.

“The FBI in Michigan will continue to investigate those who violate federal law and remain focused on ensuring the protection and safety of our nation,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Reuben Coleman of the FBI Detroit Field Office.

“Money laundering is tax evasion in progress, and in this case, the proceeds funded an alleged human trafficking ring and supported a luxury lifestyle under the guise of a religious ministry.

“IRS-CI stands committed to fighting human trafficking and labor exploitation, and pursuing those who hide their profits gained from the extreme victimization of the vulnerable,” said Special Agent in Charge Karen Wingerd of IRS Criminal Investigation, Detroit Field Office.

According to the DOJ, conspiracy to commit forced labour carries up to 20 years’ imprisonment and a fine up to $250,000, while forced labour carries up to 20 years’ imprisonment and a fine up to $250,000.

It noted that conspiracy to commit money laundering carries up to 20 years’ imprisonment and a fine up to $500,000 or twice the value of the properties involved in the money laundering transactions.

It was gathered that Brannon appeared in federal court in Tampa on Wednesday afternoon, but an attorney for Brannon wasn’t present.

A judge asked where her attorney was and whether she had representation.

Brannon told the judge that she had two private attorneys, out of St. Louis and Oklahoma, who were already working with them. However, she said she hadn’t heard from either of them.

The judge said the attorneys were not able to be reached through the phone numbers provided to federal prosecutors. It’s not clear if Brannon has legal representation at this point.

The judge continued Brannon’s hearing to Thursday afternoon. He instructed Brannon to find an attorney in the Tampa area in the meantime.