Yusuf Isa, a 32-year-old suspect has confessed to being hired to kill popular clergyman, Apostle Johnson Suleman.
Daily Report Nigeria reports that Suleman, who is the founder and General Overseer Omega Fire Ministry, was targeted in a terrific attack in October 2022 in Auchi, Edo State.
The attack led to the death of seven members of the cleric’s convoy, including three police officers, while the clergyman was preparing for a trip to Tanzania.
Isa, a plumber from Kogi state, confessed that he and other members of the gang were paid N50 million to kill the fiery preacher during a presentation to press by Force spokesperson, Olumuyiwa Adejobi, in Abuja last week.
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Though, Isa claimed not to be aware of who sponsored the attack, he said the gang received N50 million to kill Suleman.
Revealing the strategies his gang operates with, Isa said;
“It is not easy for the Police Force to track us. We don’t make calls, the phone I am using I’ve never used it to call anybody. We specialised in using the Telegram platform to communicate with ourselves.
“Telegram uses username, not number, unlike WhatsApp. Even the line we are using to buy data, it is not a registered line. We did not register any line by ourselves, and we did not open any account with our own identity.
“I can only say that only God wanted to track me down because of the calibre of people we have assaulted.
“We wanted to kill him. Somebody planned it, but I don’t know the person. It was Labista and Eliazu. Labista is on the run, but Eliazu is dead.”
“I just wish I could see him (the cleric) one on one to beg for forgiveness. I’m really sorry.”
The suspect explained how terrible things have been for he and his gang members since the attack.
Isah said, “We lost two of our leaders. After Eliazu, the next leader, Ejima, also died. I am the next leader after Ejima. Now I have been arrested.”
According to Isa, ‘Abdulrahman’, the driver who drove the gang during the attack on Suleiman also died in the process, adding that four of his colleagues are still on the run.
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In another Twitter video, the suspect said four gang members, three in Abuja and one in Ekiti State were still remaining.
Meanwhile, Force spokesperson, Mr Adejobi, said the suspect was arrested in Ondo State.
He said, “Intelligence revealed that the seven-man syndicate has been actively involved in kidnapping operations within Edo State and its environs and have carried out about four kidnapping operations between 2021 and 2023 before the gang was eventually busted by the police.”
