CAN defends controversial pastor, slams Osinbajo’s ‘silence’

The Christian Association of Nigeria has vowed to defend the founder of Omega Fire Ministries, Johnson Suleman, after operatives of the State Security Service tried to arrest him on Tuesday.

The group also criticised Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, saying he has failed to speak up against attacks on Christians.

Fiery Edo State-based preacher, Mr. Suleman, caused a stir by calling for the killing of Fulani herdsmen found near his church.

Speaking on January 2 at the church’s monthly Miracle and Fire Night Service in Auchi, Mr. Suleman said President Buhari’s “silence on the genocide in Southern Kaduna has continued to fuel mutual recriminations and distrust‎ among the diverse ethnic and religious groups in the country.”

Mr. Suleiman said he had been warned that Fulani herdsmen were planning to attack him, and urged his security guards to kill any herdsman found around his church.

An attempt by SSS operatives to arrest Mr. Suleman on Tuesday, reportedly for making inciting comments, was thwarted by the Ekiti State governor, Ayodele Fayose.

The preacher later explained that he was not targeting any Fulani herdsmen, but only those who may seek to kill him, saying that killing them would be in self-defence.

In its reaction to the development on Friday, the Christian umbrella body in Nigeria, CAN, described the planned arrest as “an attempt to turn Christians to refugees in their own country”.

“Apostle Suleman has become a refugee in Ekiti state as security operatives are said to be searching every nook and cranny of the state with a view to arresting him,” CAN said in a statement on Friday.

“If there is an urgent need to interrogate Apostle Suleman on any issue, it would only have been proper to extend a formal or informal invitation to him from the SSS rather than Gestapo approach used in the attempt to arrest him. It should be noted that under Nigerian Laws, he is presumed innocent until a court of law proves otherwise. Or have they extended the proposed obnoxious law that forbids religious preaching without the permission of the state governor down south too?

“Treating Ministers of God and our members as common criminals is unacceptable to the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN). Enough is enough,” the association said in its statement signed by the special assistant on media and communication to the CAN President, Bayo Oladeji.