Fayose foils DSS arrest of pastor who preached Christian retaliation against herdsmen (Photos)

Ekiti State Governor Ayodele Fayose in the dead hours of Wednesday morning in Ado Ekiti, foiled an attempt by operatives of the Department of State Security (DSS) to arrest a cleric who recently called on Christians to retaliate against incessant brutal killings by Muslim Fulani herdsmen.

The cleric, Apostle Johnson Suleiman of the Omega Fire Ministries Worldwide, recently asked members of his church in Auchi, Edo State, to resist the killings by suspected Fulani herdsmen, who he alleged are targeting Christians for decimation (see video at the end of this story).

Suleiman, who also instructed his security men not to allow any Fulani herdsmen near him, was in Ado Ekiti for a two-day crusade, which was also attended by the new chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Governors’s Forum, Fayose.

Recall that on Monday, the Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity to President Muhammadu Buha, Shehu Garba, had, while taking questions from a team of Channels Television journalists, invited security agencies to consider arresting Suleiman for his utterances.

The pastor was allegedly trailed around 2am to his hotel room after paying a courtesy visit to the governor at the Government House by the operatives of the DSS in Adebayo area of the state capital. They were said to have almost forced their way to his room but were resisted by security men of the hotel who insisted on knowing their mission.

Upon sensing danger, the pastor said he alerted Governor Fayose, who personally led a rescue mission to prevent the abduction of the pastor and took him to safety.

“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.

“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 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 put this country on fire,” the pastor said.

Recall that on Monday, the Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity to President Muhammadu Buha, Shehu Garba, had, while taking questions from a team of Channels Television journalists, invited security agencies to consider arresting Suleiman for his utterances.

Expressing surprise that a man of God was being trailed to be arrested by the men of DSS instead of inviting him, Fayose said, “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.

Read also: Policemen attached to me were sacked for resisting plot to assassinate me –Wike

“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”.

Governor Fayose noted that it was unbecoming of the Federal Government to be harassing 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.

“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 noted.

This is the second time an arrest by DSS operatives has been resisted by a sitting governor.

First it was Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State, who resisted the DSS from arresting a judge in his state over allegations of corruption. Seven other judges were arrested that same night by the DSS.

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