The Edo state commissioner of Police, AIG Abutu Yaro has removed the Divisional Police Officer of Auchi Division, Edo State, CSP Ayodele Suleiman, following the death of one of the suspected attackers of the convoy of Apostle Johnson Suleman, the General Overseer of Omega Fire Ministry.
A statement by the Command’s Deputy Public Relations Officer, Jennifer Iwegbu, said the directive which is effective immediately is one of the steps being taken to find out what exactly happened to the surviving member of the gang that attacked the convoy.
The statement read, “The outgoing CP now AIG Abutu Yaro has ordered the withdrawal of CSP Ayodele Suleiman, DPO Auchi for debriefing at the State Headquarters with immediate effect.
AIG Abutu Yaro.
"We urge members of the public to remain calm and patient, assuring that no stone would be left unturned to unearth the circumstances surrounding the incident.”
According to The PUNCH, one of the alleged attackers of the Apostle's convoy was arrested by the community's vigilante group and turned over to the police.
A short video footage trending online shows the corpse of the killed suspect in a vehicle.
In the video footage, a policeman was heard referring to the slain suspect as a kidnapper.
The policeman said, “One of the kidnappers that were 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.”
"Who is trying to cover traces "?- Apostle Suleman asks.
Reacting to the video, Suleman, in a tweet denounced the killing of the suspect who had been given over to the police alive and claimed that it was done to hide evidence that would have pointed to those responsible for the attack.
Apostle Johnson Suleman.
The cleric’s tweet read, “Lies…there
weren’t kidnappers… He was caught and handed over and the police killed him immediately. Why? Why kill him on the spot? Who is trying to cover up traces?”
Apostle Suleman’s lawyer, Samuel Amune, also denounced the killing of the suspect and called for a thorough investigation into the incident.
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.”
" I never heard of any information that the suspect was handed over to the police". - Edo PPRO.
The Police Public Relations Officer for Edo command, Chidi Nwabuzor described the suggestion that the suspect was handed over to the police alive and he was shot dead by a policeman as an attempt to disparage the work of the police during the incident.
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 clarify 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.”
Fr. Ugwu picks holes in apostle Suleman's testimony.
In the meantime, Apostle Suleman has come under fire from a well-known Catholic priest, Rev. Fr. Kelvin Ugwu for being insensitive to those who died in the attack on his convoy.
According to Fr Ugwu, Apostle Suleman in his testimony used other people’s misfortune to elevate his own story.
Rev. Fr. Kelvin Ugwu.
The priest said that the general overseer's life is not more valuable than that of the police officers and civilians who were killed in the tragic incident.
"I have always said it here, when giving testimonies, be sensitive. Don’t use other people’s misfortune to elevate your own story.
“In their bid to assassinate you, seven persons were killed and you are like,'' My life is in the hands of God, nobody can kill me.”
“Well, I will not thank God that you survived the assassination, I will rather thank God that you admitted to knowing those that were behind the assassination and shooting.
"I call on the police and the government to take it up from there. The lives of those seven persons matter so much.
"The minister’s life is not more valuable than theirs. A full investigation should be opened immediately until those behind the shooting are arrested and given what they deserve by law.
“And for those working closely with the minister, I will advice you to take necessary precautions because it seems he knows something capable of putting you at risk, which you may not be aware of”, Fr Kelvin posted on his verified Facebook page.
After the attack on his convoy on Friday evening, Apostle Suleman reacted by saying “my life is in the hands of God, nobody can kill me.”
SEVEN persons including three policemen and four domestic staff of Apostle Johnson Suleman were killed on Friday when his convoy was attacked on Friday, along the Warake-Auchi road by yet-to-be-identified gunmen.
Politics and Opinion.
留言