The President, Omega Fire Ministries, Apostle Johnson Suleman, has said he would not join issues with his traducers damaging his reputation online but would do so in real life.
He said this while addressing his congregation on Sunday over Friday‘s attempt on his life.
A video of his address was shared on the church’s Facebook platform.
Suleman said he has generally refrained from joining issues with his online traducers out of respect for his spiritual children who asked him not to dignify his critics with a response.
He said he chose to make an exception because the minds of a lot of people were being poisoned against him by his relentless enemies.
Suleman said his primary motivation for responding was to debunk the “lies” being peddled that he used the policemen and others that died in the Friday attack for rituals.
He said nothing could be further from the truth, adding that the purveyors of the claims have showed a lack of respect for the dead.
Suleman said he had not personally used Facebook since 2017 but the church has maintained an active presence.
He said those behind spewing vitriol against him were young men below 40 who use online media to blackmail celebrities, politicians, and other influential people into paying them off.
He said these perpetrators drive expensive cars and give the impression that they are based abroad even though they live in Nigeria.
“The fact that we don’t come out to debunk everything does not mean that your voice is louder than our voice. We can rubbish you in one post,” Suleman said.
“We keep quiet because certain of our children whom we respect and love say, ‘Papa, don’t talk.'”
He added, “And there’s a particular platform online that is pushing that diabolic (narrative)…Why are they not telling the world what I’ve done to them?
“One time, they went offline for two weeks. Another time, they went offline for three weeks, came back and said they went to do surgery. Which surgery? I was the one chasing them.
“They were planning to run. That is why they gave the platform to somebody else and the person was typing and people caught it, that this is not the way these people normally type. So they quickly took the platform down. They are planning to run.
“People thought they lived abroad. Which abroad? They live in Nigeria. They know that I know them.”
Suleman added, “You can’t run for too long. I’m already on your doorstep.
“The truth is that when people get to know who these people are, they will feel angry with themselves.
“Young people who they are calling royal names. Young, under 40.
“All they have done is to destroy celebrities, destroy politicians.
“When they want to destroy you, they’ll post a lot of things on their Telegram and say they are about to start talking.
“So, those who don’t want them to talk will go and pay them.
“They are changing cars, young people.
“When you come out to talk, they say (you’re doing) damage control. What are you damaging and what are we controlling?
“Watch. They will cut part of this video and go and put it online and put laughing emoji (saying), Oh, we’re already talking.
“I’m on you. Real people don’t fight online. They fight in real life.
“Make your noise online and I’m hitting you (in) real life.”
Suleman reiterated that he would not name the perpetrators.
Addressing criticism that he drives around in bulletproof cars while praying for God’s protection on his members, Suleman said he was not among pastors preaching stupidity.
He said he would buy a bulletproof car for every member of his church if he could afford it.
The cleric said he built a hospital on the church premises so that the congregation could make use of it instead of depending solely on spiritual healing.
“We don’t sell oil; We don’t sell handkerchief.
“So know what I stand for before criticising me,” Suleman added.