14 July 2023
The Nigeria Police Force has arrested
The suspected attacker of the founder of Omega Fire Ministries Worldwide, Auchi, Apostle Johnson Suleman has revealed his intent for attacking his (Apostle Johnson Suleman) convoy on October 21, 2022, along Benin – Auchi road, wherein six people, including three police personnel, were gruesomely murdered.
The attacker, Yusuf Ismael Isah, 32 years old man from Okene, Kogi State told Journalist that the attack on the cleric was meant to assassinate him.
He said, “The attack on him (Suleman) was to assassinate him. I was not part of the discussion; Ilayasu and Labisca were the ones involved in the discussion.
“We attacked him with five AK 47 rifles. Labisca trailed him from where he was coming from to the point where we attacked him.”
Yusuf Ismael Isah was paraded on Thursday by Police authorities in Abuja.
Addressing journalists while parading the suspect and others in Abuja, the Force Public Relations Officer, Muyiwa Adejobi, said operatives of the Intelligence Rapid Team arrested Isah following an intensive investigation.
Isah told journalists that he and his gang members trailed the pastor to the point where he was attacked with five AK 47 riffles.
The police spokesman confirmed that five AK 47 riffles, two K2 rifles and 180 live ammunition were recovered from the suspect.
Gunmen attacked the convoy of the cleric along the Benin-Auchi Road in Edo State and killed six persons, including three policemen.
“Following an intensive investigation into the fatal attack on the convoy of Apostle Johnson Suleman along Benin-Auchi Road wherein six people, including three police personnel, were gruesomely murdered, operatives of FIB-IRT on the trail of the assailants apprehended one Yusuf Isah, a native of Okene, Kogi State and a plumber, at Agbaraoluwa Phase 2 Ijoka, Akure, Ondo State and recovered five AK 47 rifles, two K2 assault rifles, 180 live ammunition and four suspected IEDs found in his apartment,” Adejobi said.
The FPRO said some of the rifles found with the suspect were snatched from the three policemen killed during the attack.
He said the suspect confessed that the gang abducted an oil magnate and a businessman for whom N70m and N2m were respectively paid for their freedom.
Adejobi added, “The suspect confessed that he joined the vicious gang in 2021 after he was freed from Olokuta Correctional Centre where he was on remand since 2019 for alleged involvement in armed robbery.
“The group specialises in kidnapping for ransom and has carried out about four kidnapping operations between 2021 and 2023, including the attack on the convoy of the cleric before the gang was eventually busted by the police.