A witness has narrated how General Overseer, Omega Fire Ministry, Apostle Johnson Suleman, escaped an attack in which seven of his associates were killed on Friday.
WITHIN NIGERIA had reported that gunmen on Friday attacked the convoy of Apostle Suleman with seven person feared killed.
According to Daily Trust, a source said the attackers, who had been trailing Suleman from Benin City, opened fire around river Ole on Warrake road in Auchi area of Edo state.
Source said that Apostle Suleman opted not to go through Benin-Auchi road because of the bad situation of the road.
“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 when the attackers realised that they missed their target, they made 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 were 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 things that the witness said.
“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.”
The State Police Public Relations Officer, SP Chidi Nwanbuzor, said the police were on the trail of the attackers who fled.
“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 attack, the Divisional Police Officer in charge of the area responded alongside his men, leading to the killing of one of the hoodlums and recovery of one of the vehicles used during the operation.