The President of Omega Fire Ministries Worldwide, Apostle Johnson Suleman, has accused the police of trying to sweep the case of the attack on his convoy under the carpet.
The cleric alleged that the police killed the prime suspect involved in the brutal attack to cover up the case.
Suleman’s convoy was attacked along the Benin–Auchi Road, Edo State, around 5pm on Friday, leading to the death of three policemen, two drivers and two others.
In a 42 seconds video clip showing the corpse of the killed suspect in a vehicle, the police described him as a kidnapper.
The policeman said, “One of the kidnappers that was caught today (Friday) while the DPO, CSP Ayodele Sulaiman, led the operation along Iyewe-Auchi Road, and after a gun battle, this one (suspect) was gunned down while others escaped with bullet wounds. Bush combing is ongoing.”
The pastor, via a tweet, slammed the Police for describing the slain suspect as a kidnapper.
READ ALSO: Crime Scene Photos From Apostle Suleman’s Convoy Attack In Edo
He said the suspect was handed over to the police alive but some officers decided to kill him to cover up tracks.
The cleric’s tweet read, “Lies…there weren’t kidnappers… He was caught and handed over and the police killed him immediately. Why? Why killing him on the spot? Who is trying to cover up traces?”
Also reacting, Suleman’s lawyer, Samuel Amune, said the vigilante caught him and handed him over to the police who allegedly killed him.
He demanded a thorough investigation into the case.
He said, “As I speak with you now, I am with Apostle Suleman, and I am examining the vehicle in his compound. One of the boys was caught yesterday by vigilantes and he was handed over alive to the Auchi Police Division.
“But ironically, we don’t know what happened and the next thing we heard was that the police have shot him dead. I don’t know what the police would cook up later to be responsible for shooting him as the police station was not attacked by the youths.
“It was the youths in conjunction with the vigilante that arrested the boy and handed him over alive to the police. So, the only conspiracy theory that one can easily think of now is that was he (the policeman) acting under a superior order to have done what he has done?
“Was there any gang up or trace that they are trying to cover up? These are some of the theories God will help us unravel as time progresses. The police have not given us any official reason for shooting him dead.”
In a follow-up reaction, the Police Public Relations Officer, Chidi Nwabuzor, dismissed claims that the suspect was killed by the police to thwart the case.
He said, “That insinuation is just an attempt to malign the DPO in charge of Auchi. That is an attempt to dent all the work that they have done. During the attack, nobody knew anybody, and the police were there to prevent any form of attack on anybody.
“The police have a job to protect life and property; it is their constitutional duty. The action of the police was impromptu, the action was going on when the police attended to the distress call and right there at the scene of the crime, everything took place.
“I never heard of any information that the suspect was handed over to the police. Let them (those who apprehended the suspect) come out and make a clarification for that. That is not true, it is just hearsay; if anyone has a contrary opinion on that, let them come out and tell the world.”