A witness of the attack on the convoy of Apostle Johnson Suleman, General Overseer, Omega Fire Ministry, has narrated how the preacher escaped an attack in which seven of his associates were killed, Daily Trust reports.
REPORTERS AT LARGE reported that Suleman’s convoy came under fire on Warrake Road in the Auchi area of Edo State on Friday.
The gunmen suspected to be kidnappers had shot directly at vehicles in the convoy. A source said the attackers, who had been trailing Suleman from Benin City, opened fire around River Ole.
A source told Daily Trust that Apostle Suleman opted not to go through the Benin-Auchi road because of its bad condition.
“He was returning from Benin to Auchi after a programme, he took Ifor road in Ondo State due to the bad condition of the Benin-Auchi road. The gunmen who had been trailing him opened fire on his convoy when they got to river Ole; Apostle Suleman drove the ‘front vehicle himself while two vehicles followed behind; they slowed when they got to a place that had speed breaker.
“The gunmen who thought he was in one of the back vehicles opened fire on them, and in the process killed police officers, two drivers and a lady. On hearing the gunshots, Apostle Suleiman. accelerated and escaped from the scene.”
The source said that when the attackers realised that they missed their target, they made a U-turn and headed towards Benin, but the vigilante and security team, comprising police and soldiers, went after them.
“When the gunmen discovered that security was after them, they hijacked a bus, killed one of the female passengers and used others as cover for escape. But one of them has been arrested.”
In a Twitter post, Shehu Sani, a former Senator, corroborated some of the witness’s statements.
“I have just spoken with Apostle Suleiman. He confirmed to me that it was an assassination attempt on his life and that some of his aides lost their lives. He also confirmed there was arrest.”
Police Public Relations Officer in Edo, SP Chidi Nwanbuzor, said the police were on the trail of the fled attackers.
“He (Apostle Suleman) was returning from Benin City when hoodlums attacked him at Auchi; during the attack three policemen, two drivers, a female domestic staff, were killed while one another domestic staff got missing during the attack.”
He said shortly after the attack, the Divisional Police Officer in charge of the area responded alongside his men, leading to the killing of one of the hoodlums and the recovery of one of the vehicles used during the operation.
