The Ekiti State Governor and Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party<\/p>\n
(PDP) Governors\u2019 Forum, Mr Ayodele Fayose has cautioned the All
\nProgressives Congress (APC) led federal government to be mindful on
\nhow it handles issues bordering on religion in the country so as not
\nto throw the country into religious crisis, condemning attempt by
\narmed men of the Department of State Services (DSS) to arrest\u00a0 Apostle
\nJohnson Suleiman of The Omega Fire Ministries Worldwide in Ado Ekiti,
\nearly today as uncalled for and clear invitation to chaos.<\/p>\n
Governor Fayose, who challenged the security agencies in the country,
\nespecially the DSS to tell Nigerians how many of the Fulani herdsmen
\nthat killed thousands of Nigerians across the country have been
\narrested, added that; \u201cNigerians, either Muslim or Christian deserve
\nto be protected by the federal government, which controls all security
\napparatus in the country and the moment the federal government can no
\nlonger protect Nigerians from being killed by rampaging herdsmen,
\ncitizens of the country will have no option than to defend
\nthemselves.\u201d<\/p>\n
Speaking through his Special Assistant on Public Communications and
\nNew Media, Lere Olayinka, Governor Fayose, who lamented that the APC
\nled federal government, was indirectly supporting attack on Christians
\nand other Muslim sects, especially the Shi\u2019ites, by looking the other
\nway while they are attacked, called on the international community to
\nintervene before Nigeria is thrown into major religious crisis.<\/p>\n
Governor Fayose, who expressed surprise that a man of God was been
\ntrailed to be arrested by the men of DSS said,\u00a0 he expected the
\nsecurity operatives\u00a0 to invite him if they have any issue with him
\ninstead of\u00a0 arresting him in the dead of the night after a powerful
\nand spirit-filled crusade in my State.<\/p>\n
He said; \u201cIf the federal government had acted swiftly like it acted on
\nApostle Suleiman so-called inciting comments when people were being
\nkilled by herdsmen across the country, so many lives would have been
\nsaved.\u201d<\/p>\n
The governor described as strange, APC hatred for men of God,
\nespecially those seen as not on the same page with the party, saying;
\n\u201cIt is on record that the APC in Ekiti State issued press statements
\nand went on social media to disparage the Redeemed Christians Church
\nof God (RCCG) Worldwide General Overseer, Pastor Enoch Adeboye just
\nbecause he praised me when he came to Ekiti. And curiously, it was
\nimmediately Pastor Adeboye came to Ekiti State and praised me that he
\nwas forced to relinquish his position as the General Overseer of the
\nRCCG.<\/p>\n
\u201cApostle Johnson Suleiman openly condemned the killing of Nigerians
\nacross the country and went on to say that Christians should rise and
\ndefend themselves if the federal government, which controls all
\nsecurity apparatus will not defend them and the next thing that
\nhappened was the DSS moving swiftly to arrest him.<\/p>\n
\u201cIsn\u2019t it ridiculous that instead of running after those herdsmen that
\nhave killed over 3,000 Nigerians in just one year, the DSS opted to
\narrest a man of God, who merely expressed his frustration on the
\ninability of Nigeria to protect its citizens?<\/p>\n
\u201cOr who should be arrested between those killer herdsmen and Apostle
\nSuleiman who merely expressed his readiness for self-defence and
\ncalled on Christians to defend themselves if they are attacked by the
\nherdsmen?<\/p>\n
\u201cWe were all in this country when cattle breeders openly said over
\n1,000 Agatu people of Benue State were killed because over 10,000 cows
\nwere killed. We were also told that the Southern Kaduna genocide was
\nas a result of killing of cows. Up till today, none of those cattle
\nbreeders have been arrested.\u201d<\/p>\n
The governor, who said there could also be plan to arrest the General
\nOverseer of Living Faith Church Worldwide International (Winners’
\nChapel International), Bishop David Oyedepo, warned security
\noperatives against intimidation and arrest of men of God in the
\ninterest of peace and religious harmony in the country.<\/p>\n
He called for the release of the head of Nigeria’s Islamic Movement
\n(IMN), Ibrahim El-Zakzaky, who has been in detention since late 2015
\ndespite that the court ruled that he should be released, saying; \u201cI
\nstand for Nigeria and its people, not for any religion and it is my
\nposition that rights of all Nigerians must be respected and
\nprotected.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Governor said, \u201cI personally attended his crusade and I think it
\nis wrong for a man of God who is armless that could be invited if they
\nhave any issue against him. Are Christians and Moslems under different
\ndispensation of the rule of law?\u00a0 That\u2019s why I went there to rescue
\nhim. Let them kill two of us together. But when they saw my vehicles
\nand the crowd, they fled.<\/p>\n
Governor Fayose noted that it was unbecoming of the Federal Government
\nto be harassing the clergymen in the country noting that the General
\nOverseer of Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) Pastor Enoch
\nAdeboye was harassed and forced to resign shortly after he visited him
\nin Ado Ekiti.<\/p>\n
He said, \u201cThis is unacceptable, we are in a democracy and Nigerians
\nshould warn the Presidency against putting this country on fire<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
The Ekiti State Governor and Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Governors\u2019 Forum, Mr Ayodele Fayose has cautioned the All Progressives Congress (APC) led federal government to be mindful…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":50572,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-55735","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"yoast_head":"\n