OF MIRACLE MONEY AND A CURIOUS POLICE INVITATION

On Wednesday August 11, 2021 the Nigerian public was regaled by a public briefing given by one Barrister Inibehe Effiong a lawyer representing his client Mr. Israel Goodness Balogun who was being held in police detention at the Force C.I.D. Abuja

Whilst we are not certain what particular offence(s) the said Mr Balogun is alleged to have committed; from the lawyer’s briefing it was clear that the police had acted on the complaint of one Apostle Johnson Suleman. Apostle Suleman is a Nigerian televangelist and the senior pastor and general overseer of Omega Fire Ministries International, a church with its headquarters in Auchi, Edo State. One of Nigeria’s wealthiest and flamboyant Christian clergymen, Apostle Suleman has lately being in the limelight for claiming to perform miracles where beings he claims are money granting angels of heaven miraculously transferred sums of money to bank accounts of church members during prayer crusades in Auchi, Nigeria and Atlanta, USA. Several worshipers were recorded on video ululating and rejoicing after reportedly receiving the said miraculous credit alerts on their phones.

Not unexpectedly the development has attracted the attention of all sorts of commentators some of whom have rejected the possibility of the said miracle alerts and even a few who have gone as far as declaring the said miracle alerts to be fake thereby calling to question the credibility of Apostle Suleman. Mr Balogun is one such nay sayer who publicly condemned Apostle Suleman’s claims.

This medium is in no position to ascertain the veracity or otherwise of any miracle and neither supports nor disavows either side. We are nevertheless quite concerned about the role of the Nigerian Police as an impartial and veritable institution for the good of society. The role of the police goes beyond receiving complaints, investigation and arresting of suspects. The police ought to possess the capacity to defuse unpleasant situations rather than escalate them. Situations where it could be rightly or wrongly perceived that the police lend itself as an instrument in the hands of the rich and powerful ought to be avoided by all means. It gives cause for wonder whether to allege that a pastor has performed a fake miracle is an “offence” which requires an alleged offender who is resident in Lagos to be invited by the Nigerian Police all the way to Abuja in order to be interrogated and detained. Whereas Apostle Suleman perhaps may have filed his complaint in Abuja; his church Headquarters is in Auchi. The alleged offender on the other hand resides in Lagos and made the alleged offensive statements from Lagos. Considering the deployable personnel and other resources available to the Nigerian Police Force in Lagos it becomes curious if not unreasonable for the police to request the suspect to travel to Abuja to be questioned and detained. The nature of the allegation in our opinion does not require the police to insist on the suspect going through the attendant risks and expenses of travelling from Lagos to Abuja. We consider that decision of the police needlessly punitive when the nature of the alleged offence is considered. Furthermore, the suspect was required by the police to provide high level sureties with landed property in Abuja. All these for a complaint where no violence was threatened, no life or limbs were at risk and no property was violated. Going by nature of the police invitation and the combination of onerous bail conditions imposed on Mr. Balogun, it appears that someone wishes to teach the man some lesson.

The Nigerian Police Force ought to be concerned about its image. An institution that stands firm to serve and protect all citizens irrespective of the level of social influence and financial wealth is the sort of police that is required.