A popular Nigerian cleric, Johnson Suleman, has alleged that a police officer masterminded last year’s deadly attack on his convoy.
In October last year reported how gunmen attacked the convoy of Mr Suleman, the founder of Omega Fire Ministries, killing seven people, including three police officers.
The attack occurred around the Auchi area of the state while Mr Suleman was heading to an unidentified location, hours after returning from a trip to the East African country, Tanzania.
The cleric had described the attack as an “assassination attempt.”
Mr Suleman said, after the attack, an unnamed police officer narrated in a post on his social media page how he (the officer) had deployed officers to the cleric but they all died under mysterious circumstances.
“I have never met the guy (the officer) in my life,” the cleric said during a live broadcast
A video clip of the live broadcast was posted on the Facebook page of Omega Fire Ministries on 2 September.
The cleric said he had informed the police authorities in Nigeria that he would tell members of his church about the post of the officer.
Mr Suleman said he responded to the officer via the post and scolded him.
He said the officer was arrested “two weeks ago” before he (the officer) wrote an apology letter to him in private which he rejected.
“You defamed me in public, go and make the apology in public,” the cleric told the officer.
‘Mastermind of the attack’
Mr Suleman said no police officer attached to his convoy had died before. He said the attack on his convoy happened because another unnamed police officer “sold us out.”
“The plan was that he (unnamed officer) should drive and I will be seated. When they (gunmen) start shooting, he would open the car and run out,” Mr Suleman said.
The cleric claimed that, on the fateful day, God had ministered to him to drive by himself as against the initial plan to let the officer drive him.
“I took the (car) key and when I did that, he bent his head,” Mr Suleman said of the unnamed officer.
“He (the unnamed officer) was the first to be wasted.”
Police officers driving civilians is not common in Nigeria.
However, a police officer, who asked not to be named, says that it is not unusual for officers to drive civilians provided such approval was given by the inspector-general of police (IGP).
“There are officers that are designated as drivers. Any policeman not designated and employed as a driver cannot serve as a driver,” the officer, a superintendent of police, said.
“Wherever you are and wish to get an officer as your driver, it is only the IGP that can approve your application,” he added.
Police silent
When contacted on Monday, the police spokesperson in Edo State, Chidi Nwabuzor, says that he would not respond to the allegation of complicity because the officer was not identified by the cleric.
“The matter is with the Force Criminal Investigation Department,” said Mr Nwabuzor, a superintendent of police.
Force spokesperson, Olumuyiwa Adejobi, did not respond to calls and a text message seeking his comment.
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