The founder and general overseer of Omega Fire Ministry, Apostle Johnson Suleman, may have unknowingly secured the release of seven prisoners including three rapists, from Auchi Prison, Edo state, theCable reports.
It was gathered that two of the ex-convicts were sentenced in March 2017 for gang raping a 16-year-old girl, while one was sentenced in May, for defiling a 3-year-old girl in Gambala community in Akoko Edo local government area of the state.
They were all given the option of fine.
However, their story changed after attending a service at the headquarters of Suleman’s church in Auchi on July 23.
Addressing them at his church auditorium after they had been freed, Suleman warned them not to go back to crime.
He also promised to empower them and told the congregation that he spent N1.5 million in the process of securing their release.
“There are seven people from the prison here who were convicted. They have been sentenced but we needed to intervene. They needed a bail bond. Put that together, everything is running to N1.5m thereabouts,” Suleman said.
Turning to the men, he said: “It is important that we get you out… We are not getting you out so that you go back to crime because God does not give third chance, He may give second chance.”
An unidentified prison official, who also spoke at the service, thanked the pastor for securing the release of the ex-convicts.
He also appreciated the role Suleman had been extending to the facility.
“I want to say a very big thank you to Professor Apostle Suleman and his beloved wife for setting these people free. It is not an easy thing. Many have been coming to preach but we are happy with you,” the official said.
“We know what you have been doing for the prison and today, these people are set free by God through you. So we appreciate you sir.”
However, Priscilla Usiobaifo, executive director of BraveHeart Initiative, a non-governmental organisation in Edo, said that the release of those convicted of rape was having a negative effect on their victims and their families.
Usiobafio said her agency monitored the case from the beginning and followed through till the accused were sentenced to prison.
She said it was painful that after securing justice, the man who raped a minor spent only two months in prison, while the gang rape convicts spent four months.
Usiobafio said the mother of one of the ex-convicts went to the house of three-year-old victim to harass the mother of the minor who was assaulted.
Together with her brother, the woman was said to have mocked the victim’s mother that Suleman had secured the release of her son.
‘Some Nollywood Actors Are Gays, Gigolos’ – Jude Orhorha
She added that the little girl went into a coma when she sighted the man who defiled her.
“The mother of this three-year-old baby called me that when her daughter sighted the young man and her child went into coma and later in the evening she called back to report that that the mother of the rapist came to her house, in fact knocked on the door to her room and began to make mockery of her telling her that the son which she sent to the prison has been released by the man of God,” Usiobaifo said.
“I wrote a report on it and put it on social media- Facebook, WhatsApp – the next day and there was an outrage on the social media. A lot of people contacted the pastor and informed him of what was happening and by Friday last week, he reached out to me.
“I narrated everything that happened to him and he apologised that he didn’t know the crimes committed by those people. He didn’t know that that was their background.
“He also stated that he was willing to do whatever he can as damage control to the victim’s family and call the rapist’s family that he didn’t send them back home to further victimise the victim.”
Suleman’s spokesman, Phrank Shaibu, however seemed unaware of the crimes of the culprits and aftermath of their release and promised to reach Suleman for details.
Aminu Suleiman, spokesman for the Edo command of the Nigerian prison service (NPS), also denied knowledge of the release of the prisoners.
Usiobafio said her agency was exploring some options in order to make sure that the victims do not suffer in vain.
The post [REVEALED] How Apostle Suleman Paid For Release Of Seven Prisoners Including Three Convicted Rapists appeared first on LATEST NIGERIAN NEWS BREAKING HEADLINES NEWSPAPERS.
source: http://ift.tt/2fhT2I5
http://ift.tt/2hx78FZ
