The convoy was attacked by unknown gunmen who were believably after the cleric but he escaped death by the whiskers.
The withdrawal of CSP Ayodele Suleiman, the Divisional Police Officer, Auchi, has been ordered by the outgoing Commissioner of Police, Edo State Command, for debriefing.
The DPO was summoned to appear at the State Headquarters of the Command with immediate effect concerning the circumstances that led to the death of one of the surviving members of the monstrous gang that attacked the convoy of Apostle Johnson Suleman, the General Overseer of the Omega Fire Ministries.
SaharaReporters earlier reported that the convoy was attacked by unknown gunmen who were believably after the cleric but he escaped death by the whiskers.
It was gathered that the cleric returned from a foreign trip and was heading for a destination in the state when the gunmen attacked his convoy.
Suleman’s lawyer, Samuel Amune, who confirmed the attack, said the cleric just returned from a programme in Tanzania.
Reacting to the incident in a video posted on his Twitter handle on Friday, Suleman said that he escaped an assassination attempt on his life, noting that seven lives were lost to the attack.
He said, “My car was attacked; they opened fire on my car and kept spraying bullets, my wife and kids were in the escort car in the front. They killed the police; they killed the other people on the other escort car and the buses with us. Seven people moving in the convoy were killed.
“People who did this are expecting me to come out and mention their names so they can come out and deny, I won’t do that. The truth of the matter is, you can’t kill me, my life is in the hand of God, I’m a man of God.”
However, the Deputy spokesperson of the Command, ASP Jennifer Iwegbu, in statement, urged members of the public to remain calm and patient as no stone would be left unturned to unearth the circumstances surrounding it.
Iwegbu in another statement said the command was “inundated by an ugly incident that occurred on Friday, 21/10/22 at about 1745hrs along Warreke-Auchi road, Edo State where the convoy of the General Overseer of Omega Fire Ministry, Apostle Johnson Suleiman, was attacked by unknown assailants suspected to be assassins.
“During the attack, three police personnel, Inspector Igbaugba Paragon, Inspector Afensumu Philip, and Inspector Akpolor Monday who are all aides of the apostle and three civilians, Ahmed Promise ‘M’, Momoh Ilegogie’M’ and Janet surname unknown ’F’, were shot dead by the assailants while one Vera surname unknown ‘F’ was suspected to have been whisked away by the assailants.
“On receipt of this information, DPO Auchi immediately mobilised policemen, gave the assailants a hot chase, and engaged them. One of the assailants was neutralised in the process and one Toyota Avensis car with NO LAGOS KRD 92 HU was also recovered.
“The bodies of the deceased have since been deposited at the morgue while intense bush coming and intelligence gathering is still ongoing for possible arrests of the assailants.
“The Outgoing CP, now AIG Abutu Yaro fdc has ordered the DC CID, DCP Samuel Olawore, Explosive and Ordinance Investigators and Forensic experts to the scene, while Tactical Teams led by the AC OPs, ACP James Chu are advancing to the general area to conduct further coordinate pursuit of the assailants.
“He commiserates with the bereaved families and prays to God to console them, as the authority of the Nigerian Police Force share from the moment of their grief while assuring that the perpetrators of this heinous crime must be brought to book to face the consequences of their action”, the statement added.