Recently, the Senior Pastor of Omega Fire Minstry, Auchi, Apostle Johnson Suleman, has been serially accused of sex escapades

By Richard Elesho

For Apostle Johnson Suleiman, these are not the best of times. For months now, the founder of Omega Fire Ministries has been in the news, and for mega reasons. First was the strong voice he raised against the persecution of Christians and regular herdsmen attacks leading to the death of scores of believers in Southern Kaduna. Then, after series of vitriolic exchange of words between Suleiman and the Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, the fiery priest narrowly escaped arrest by operatives of the Department of State Service, DSS during a crusade in Ekiti State. In fact, it took the intervention of the State Governor, Ayodele Fayose to shield Suleman from arrest.

As if his encounter with the law enforcement agents are not big enough, series of allegations of an amorous nature are now been laid against the outspoken priest.

The pastor’s current travails have all the trappings of a script written from the pit of hell or from the bowels of Sodom/Gomorrah. Indeed, if the allegations are anything to go by, then, Joseph the Jewish patriarch, who abandoned his garment for a promiscuous Potiphar’s wife must be cringing in the grave. In the last week or so, Suleiman’s reputation have come under severe attack from women who claim to be in canal relationship with him. And the accusers are many. Among them are Stephanie Otobo and Queen Esther. The General Overseer is also thought to have an unspiritual relationship with Daniella Okeke, a Nollywood actress.

The first to break the Pandora box is Stephanie aka Kimora. The dancer was arrested in a string operation by men of the Nigerian Police Force, while trying to withdraw money that Suleman paid into her account. Consequently, she was charged for blackmail, extortion and terrorism. In the course of her prosecution, Kimora was granted bail by a Chief Magistrate in Lagos. Then, she became a loose canon and elected to tell her story in the village square.

In a video that has gone viral on the Internet, the Canadian based Nigerian singer gave lurid accounts of her alleged adulterous escapades with the Pastor. The messy affair has also become subject of petition to the police and litigation in the court. She claimed that she and the pastor met in Canada and promptly started dating in June 2015. She claimed that Suleman told her he was divorced and promised to marry her because he was looking for male children which his supposed former wife was not able to give. With marriage in the bargain, she plunged herself into the affair which she said involved a lot of cash gifts, traveling and sex.

“The relationship was nurtured by Apostle Suleman who inaudated me with cash gifts and pleasure trips all over Europe.” One of their trips was to Napoli in Italy where the pastor went for a crusade. Stephanie said they spent three days together in the city in August 2015. “While in Napoli, the Apostle would preach and perform miracles in the day time and take the much needed rest in my bossom at night.” In no time she became pregnant and their love gradually became cold.

In her petition to the Lagos Police Commissioner, through Festus Keyamo, her lawyer, Stephanie recalls that when she informed Suleman about the pregnancy, the pastor was not excited about it and requested her to come down to Nigeria. “I arrived Nigeria on August 25th, 2015. Consequently I met Apostle Suleman at Definite Destiny Hotel beside Airport Hotel, Ikeja.” She wrote. “It was at the hotel that I was given a concoction to drink by Apostle Suleman who told me that the concoction was for my spiritual fortification. But in less than 10 minutes after drinking the concoction, I started vomiting blood and passing out blood. Apostle Suleman then gave me pills to stop the blood though the blood did not immediately, but the pain subsided and the pregnancy was gone.”

Kimora’s tactics will make Portipher’s wife green with envy. As denials came from the fiery priest. Kamora employed the use of technology to spice her narratives. The 23-year old woman gave obscene details of some love making encounters, described the supposed manhood of Suleman and his bed mannerisms and acrobatics! She added that Suleman unsuccessfully tried to entreat her to a threesome marathon sex. To sppport her claims, she released photographs of snapchat with Suleman, which allegedly shows his erect manhood, while her own breasts were also left bare. The dancer also challenged Suleman to produce his international passport and statement of accounts for scrutiny.

Suleman who is currently in the United States for a retreat, has denied the claims. In a terse response, by his spokesperson, Mr Phrank Shuaibu, the priest denied knowing Stephanie in person. The dancer was said to have introduced herself to the pastor on phone, as a prostitute who was tired of the practice and needed prayers and other spiritual help to live in holiness. In line with Suleman’s calling as a pastor and philanthropist, he prayed for the woman and assisted her with money.

A Press Statement signed by Dr. Sule Emmanuel, Director of Media and Foreign Missions of the church shed more light on the issue. “The said lady reached out to the apostle and appealed for help to quit her prostituting lifestyle and the apostle provided help to her with the knowledge and express permission of his wife Dr. Kizzy Suleman. There was nothing exceptional about her case, as Apostle Suleman and his wife are well known for their good heart in helping the needy, by the grace of God. While help was being offered to the said lady, she never had the privilege of having a face to face physical contact directly with the apostle.”

“Over a month ago, the said lady and her boyfriend tried reaching out to the Apostle with threat to blackmail him, and the apostle encouraged them to go ahead. The Apostle reported the situation to security agencies who have been on the trail of the lady and finally got her questioned and arrested.” Suleman’s wife also rose in strong defense of her husband. In a video, she said said she has known her man for 19 years and vouch his moral uprightness.

The man at the Centre of it all, issued a ban prohibiting members of the church from talking about the scandal. According to a statement from Shuaibu, “every wise person knows that this is not a battle for humans but one between the kingdom of God and that of darkness.” Also in a video, Suleman berated the whole enterprise and cast aspersions on the beauty and person of Stephanie.

“They should have at least get somebody that people would believe. Look for a presentable person, not this.. Come on…Haba I’ve travelled around the world and have seen all kinds. Is it that thing? If I were to go to the market, there are people that would sell pepper to me and I wouldn’t buy.” He then went into prophesy mode, disclosing that it has been revealed to him that the truth will come out and “something will happen in 24 hours.” He urged his members to be steadfast and be on the look out for what will happen. It’s now more than 48hours, and nothing has happened.

Meanwhile, as the church is trying hard to stay on top of the Otobo allegations, another accuser in the person of one Queen Esther has emerged on the scene with another tar of scandal. Esther, who described herself as a former usher in Suleman’s church claimed to have dated him from August 2013 to April 2014 when they had a catastrophic breakup.

“I was an usher in his branch church, but I had a sexual relationship with him as he lured me into it in order to solve my spiritual problem and limitations to success in career and marriage, but after the sex, he didn’t solve the problems for me, instead he started making proposals for us to marry.” Esther was quoted as saying. She made other allegations.

“I told him to give me a break from the relationship, so I can stay away from the wife’s view, and also get married to a single suitor I had at that time,, instead he felt I was breaking up with him and began to threaten me, that I hurt him and that I will see the consequences of hurting him.” She said she eventually became sick and sought help from people including Suleman’s father. Esther’s stories however became suspicious when she declined to make herself public or have her photographed, until she gets state protection from the Kaduna State Governor.

In a related development, Suleman was alleged to have promiscuous relationship with flamboyant Nollywood actress Daniella Okeke. The allegation is that the pastor is the owner of N160m duplex in Mende Maryland, Lagos which he gave to the actress along with a brand new Mercedes Benz ML 450GL worth $76,000. According to stories making the rounds, a popular Lagos based fashion designer, Adebayo David Ewwje owned the house until it was sold. Eweje allegedly told reporters that he sold the property many years ago and does not know its present owner or occupant. The ML450 is said to have been registered in Lagos, in Suleman’s name. Daniella has declined from making public statements on the allegations saying her lawyers have been briefed.

Meanwhile, Omega Fire Ministries has accused Governor El-Rufai of masterminding the series of allegations of infidelity against Apostle Suleman. In a statement issued in Abuja the church, through its spokesman and Communications Manager, Phrank Shaibu stated that facts and available intelligence incontrovertibly point to the Kaduna Governor as the mastermind of the allegations.

According to him, El-Rufai decided to sponsor the allegations as a strategy to silence Apostle Suleiman and to take revenge for the latter’s famed audacity of standing against the persecution and killing of Christians in Southern Kaduna. “It is clear that Mallam Nasir El-Rufai is the mastermind of these allegations. The masquerade has been unveiled and is now dancing naked in the market Square. We don’t need to look any further for the source of the smoke”, he stated.

Politics, religion, and indeed the church are not unfamiliar with sex scandals in high places. Starting from the account of the fall of man in the scripture, to the story of the mighty man of valor called Samson, down to the drama between David and Bathsheba, among others, the Bible is replete with various accounts of the undoing of sex. Suleman’s trauma also reminds those with a strong sense of history of the Shakespearean drama, Anthony and Cleopatra . In the past, an American President, Bill Clinton narrowly escaped impeachment over his relationship with Monica Lewinsky a White House intern at the time.

How will the current allegations affect the fortunes of the man of God and his ministry? Only time, court and God will tell.