LAGOS, Nigeria(VOICE OF NAIJA)- The South African headquarters branch of the Omega Fire Ministries International was completely destroyed by fire, with senior pastor and founder Apostle Johnson Suleman pointing to a suspected insider attack.
The cleric explained that he first learned about the tragedy through a call from the resident pastor, who reported that the church building had been burnt overnight.
Suleman noted that the property was largely funded from his personal resources after years of operating in the country.
“Our pastor in South Africa called me to tell me that they have burnt down our church. We own the building, my personal money in that church was about 90 percent,” he said.
Reflecting on the decision to purchase the building, Suleman revealed the ministry had spent nearly a decade in South Africa before committing to a permanent structure.
The move was meant to establish stability for the growing congregation. However, it was now completely destroyed along with all equipments and essentials.
READ ALSO: Pastor Adeboye Advises Men Not To Marry Women Who Can’t Cook
“I saw the building, I was interested. I said to myself, we have been in South Africa for 8 to 9 years, let’s have our own building. We bought a building, they burnt it down, no chair was taken out, no sound was taken out,” he added.
The fire razed both the main auditorium and the children’s section, burning to ash important documents.
“They even burnt down the children building, all documents burnt down,” the cleric added.
Suleman noted that what raised deeper concern was the failure of the church’s security system to capture any suspects.
He suggested that the nature of the night attack points to someone familiar with the premises who went through the blind spots to carry out the arson.
“They did it overnight. The CCTV camera could not pick the person. It was the job of an insider who knew where the cameras were,” he stated.
READ ALSO: Korra Obidi Reflects On Life In Nigeria, Shares Fresh Perspective On Growth
Despite the emotional toll, the cleric described choosing faith over frustration. He admitted to initial frustration, but a moment of reflection led him to embrace gratitude rather than anger.
“As a human being, I was broken. And the Lord said to me, thank me. I went to my knees, and thanked God for everything,” he said.
Although, efforts to secure a new place of worship were initially difficult, but a suitable building was found within a short time, allowing the church to resume activities.
“To get a building to rent, it was hard. That Saturday morning, they went in search of a building to rent, they called me to say they have seen, and I said pay for three months and move in there,” he explained.
In a surprising turn, the new worship location appears to offer better conditions, which the apostle believes may serve a greater purpose.
“So where they are now is like an elite place. God knew what he was doing. He said what the enemy meant for evil, I will change it,” Suleman declared.
