He said that a miracle would not heal the sick girl, noting that what the girl needed was proper medical treatment.
A Nigerian activist and Youtuber, Israel Balogun, has called on the founder and General Overseer of the Omega Fire Ministries, Apostle Johnson Suleman, to allow a sick girl in his church get proper medical attention instead of keeping her in his church, praying for a “miracle.”
Balogun, who in 2021 criticised the church founder over his (Suleman’s) claim that he (Suleman) commanded angels to deposit money in the bank accounts of some members of his congregation, said that a miracle would not heal the sick girl, noting that what the girl needed was proper medical treatment.
The activist therefore called on his doctor friends to guide him on what needed to be done to get the girl healed.
“If you are reading this post and you know the parents of the girl, I will love to take the girl to the hospital for a proper treatment. Miracle will not heal her; medical treatment is what she needs.
“If she is healed at the victory night crusade of Apostle Sule, please someone can share her picture in the comment, if not, let get this girl to the hospital. I am calling on all my doctor friends to guide us on what needs to be done to get this girl healed,” he wrote on his Facebook page on Saturday.
Recall that in 2021, Balogun, in a video, had debunked the claims made by Suleman that he commanded angels to deposit money in the bank accounts of some worshippers in Auchi, Edo State, and Atlanta, Georgia, United States.
Following his criticism, the Force Criminal Intelligence and Investigation Department (FCIID) of the Nigeria Police Force arrested and detained for alleged criminal defamation and cyberstalking.
According to the police, Balogun's action was a case of defamation of character against the clergyman.
The video of the controversial programme showed 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 had 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 had said again, "Miracle alert, as you get it, run here. Angels begin to put money in your account."
In Balogun’s analysis that brought about threats, the Youtuber had 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.”
SaharaReporters had also in November 2021 reported that Balogun filed a suit against Suleman over his arrest and illegal detention.
Balogun who runs the Wholeness Africa Initiatives channel was invited and subsequently detained through a letter dated August 11, 2021, with reference No. CR: 3000/×/FHQ/SEB/ABJ//T3/VOL.3, signed by ACP Y. Y. Abubakar of the Special Enquiry Bureau, Force Criminal Intelligence and Investigation Department (FCIID), Area 10, Abuja.
He was accused of criticising Suleman over the cleric's claims that he commanded angels to send and deposit miracle money into the bank accounts of some worshippers.
In one of his videos, 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'.
Joined in the suit are Assistant Commissioner of Police in Charge of Special Enquiry Bureau FCIID,
ACP Y. Y. Abubakar; Deputy Inspector General of Police FCIID, Inspector General of Police, Usman Alkali and Nigeria Police Force.
In a fundamental rights enforcement suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1390/2021 filed by human rights lawyer and counsel for the YouTuber, Inibehe Effiong, which was obtained by SaharaReporters, Balogun is asking the court to order the pastor to pay him N500 million as damages for his detention and violation of fundamental rights.
Inibehe had also asked the court for a declaration that the arrest and detention of his client by the 2nd to 5th respondents on the instigation of the 1st Respondent, from 10:00 am on August 11, 2021, to around 6:30 pm on August 12, 2021, without being charged to court for a known offence, is unreasonable, unjustifiable, illegal, unconstitutional and a breach of the fundamental rights to personal liberty and freedom of movement as guaranteed by Sections 35 and 41 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended) and Articles 6 and 12 of the African Charter on Human and People’s Rights (Ratification and Enforcement) Act Cap. A9 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.