Balogun, in the video, that has generated controversies, had said there was nothing like miracle money but a planned scheme to make people believe angels were dropping money into their accounts.
A YouTuber, Israel Balogun who runs the Wholeness Africa Initiatives channel, has alleged death threats to his life by members of the Omega Fire Ministries led by Apostle Johnson Suleman over a 'Miracle Money' scandal.
In one of his videos on YouTube, Balogun analysed and condemned a video from two of the programmes of the church, one in Atlanta, USA, titled, 'Impact 2021' which was held in July and a June 2021 programme, Holy Ghost Conference 2021 held in Auchi, Edo State Nigeria, tagged, 'Harvest of Miracle Money'.
Balogun, in the video, that has generated controversies, had said there was nothing like miracle money but a planned scheme to make people believe angels were dropping money into their accounts.
He also alleged that the pastor and ministers of the church will use such tactics to take double of such amounts from church members who received the miracle money.
The video of the controversial programme shows Suleman saying, "The Holy Ghost just whispered to me, I'm going to pray and make declarations, after that you will check your account.”
Another voice said, "Papa (a term used by church members for Suleman), there is a miracle alert here, she just got her alert of $1,000."
Suleman said again, "Miracle alert, as you get it, run here. Angels begin to put money in your account."
In his analysis that has now brought about threats, Balogun said, "Apostle Suleman is destroying the gospel of God, why would a man begin by telling people there will be miracle money in their accounts, you are using the name of Christ to do Miracle or Magic?
“This is not the gospel, this man stood in the midst of the people, in the church in Atlanta and in his church in Nigeria asking people to bring out their phones and there would be miracle money in their account. You must not fold your arms and allow such a thing to continue, Nigerian Christian leaders must dissociate themselves from something like this, they must tell the world that they are never part of the gospel that this man is preaching.
“This is not Christ, this is not Christianity, this is voodoo, this is magic, this is not from God and it can never be from God. God does not deposit money in people's accounts, angels do not share money. It is either this guy has some people behind the scenes who have pre-collected people's bank details, who do not even know they wanted to use it for anything.
“They might have asked people to fill some particular forms and asking them to make their bank details on that form and using that form to distribute the money at the time the programme was going on. These people are going to pay more for the money they collected, time will come when they will ask them to sow the seed and pay 'dangerous tithes', they will pay double of that money back to the ministry and this man (Suleman) is using this tactic. There is nothing like angels distributing money into people's accounts.
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"This video is that of a man who has an arrangement with some guys, this is what they do behind the scenes. They would have collected information of people before now and so when the man starts the programme, the guys who want to do it have already programmed it, automated payments at the time the money will be released.
“And when the time comes, those people will pay in double because that trick will make them believe it is God and henceforth whatsoever the man of God tells them has to be obeyed, that is why I said the church must stand against that kind of practice and bring sanity back to Christianity.”
In a follow-up video, Balogun said he was being threatened for all he had said in the video. According to him, members of the Omega Fire Ministries have reached out to him, threatening to kill him and ’get rid of him'.
He said, "After the video that I made analysing how Apostle Johnson Suleman did a 'Miracle Money' in Atlanta and in his church in Nigeria, this year 2021, June and July, I have received countless calls, messages from his members telling me that they are coming after me, that I will get missing, they will make sure no one hears of me, that they have the power to send me to where I belong.
“As a matter of fact, one of them said and confirmed on his platform that he will let me hear the language that I understand and I think the last time such message was mentioned in my country, Nigeria, means that anyone who carries firearms will be shot or those called bandits shot on sight and I have never been part of bandits or to carry firearms, but the guy said I will be gotten rid of."
Balogun also played a recording from the conversation he had with one Obi-West Utchaychukwu, a purported follower of Apostle Suleman who said, "You are suffering, you are looking for followers, you have the guts to ridicule Apostle Suleman, wait I will send my photo to you, you will see my photo on WhatsApp, I travelled to Ukraine and I interview undercover.
“I have Adelaja, your mentor, on my palm and for me to kill you is a small thing and I will pick you up, I am already on your case. You are looking for followers that will subscribe to your channel. You want to use the man of God, you want to use Apostle Suleman for ridicule so that you will get traffic to your page, you are lying, I will get you, go and mark it, I will get you."
Balogun continued, "This call comes from a man who called himself Obi-West Utchaychukwu, he lives in Finland and he called me on WhatsApp threatening me that my life is about to come to an end because I spoke against the 'Money Miracle' of Apostle Johnson Suleman in Atlanta and not only that, many of the members of Omega Fire have come to my DM to threaten me, that they will shut me up, they said they know the address of my house, that they know where my wife works and where my family resides, they said they are coming for me.
“I am making this video to Nigerians and to anyone watching it right now, if I get missing, if nothing is being heard of my family, if anything happens whatsoever, know that these men are the ones behind it. They will say it, they will do it and this phrase of 'you will get missing is common to Omega Fire Ministries founder, Apostle Suleman because on many occasions people had issues with him and we have heard audio messages of him talking to someone that the person will not be found anymore.
“I don't know when I will get missing but I am calling on Nigerians and other well-to-do individuals, please do not let my death be in vain, because these men could be dangerous and whatever it is.
“I, Israel Balogun, will not stop talking until the day I get missing, I will keep talking about the messages that have polluted our pulpits that have turned our Christianity to paganism, I will continue to talk until mammon is dethroned, and Christ takes over his pulpit in Nigeria, I will continue to talk until you guys stop encouraging laziness and commanding money into people's accounts.
“God himself designed the earth that until we till the ground, we can never make profit. It is labour that gives profit, not a miracle when people begin to have money in their accounts just by a pastor commanding it, you have destroyed the value of labour, work, dignity, you make people believe in miracles that can change their stories overnight instead of them to pass through the process of success.
“Apostle Johnson Suleman, you can kill me, you can get rid of me, you can call IGP (Inspector General of Police) to pick me up today but remember, there are millions of my kind that will rise up in Nigeria, that will spring forth; they will speak and demand that you stop doing this.”