Apostle John Suleman, the founder of Omega Fire Ministries has warned the Zambian government against ‘messing up’ his pastors.
Pandemonium broke out on Tuesday as police reinforced immigration to force a Nigeria pastor of Omega Fire Ministries in Lusaka, Austine Obosele from his house in Ibex Hill where he had holed up with his family to avoid deportation.
The pastor’s pregnant wife, an assistant pastor of the same church was arrested for fighting policemen who were forcefully removing her husband from the house.
Speaking earlier through one of the widows to his house, Pastor Ebosele (pictured below) accused the ministry of national guidance and religious affairs of being corrupt for deporting men of God seen to have vast investments in the country.
He said the only reason government wants to deport him is because unnamed officials from the ministry of religious affairs are jealous and want to take over the wealth he has amassed in the country.
It was later revealed by some sources at Immigration Department that the Nigerian is said to have extended his stay in the country when his permit expired.
Earlier, the police tried to break down the main door to the house where pastor Obosele and his family had locked themselves in with a big hammer, when immigration officers went to pick the pastor for deportation.
The armed police officers also threatened to throw teargas in the house if the family did not voluntarily open the door, with congregants begging the officers not to take such action as there were children in the house.
After several attempts by police to break down the thick door, the pastor’s wife opened the door and thumped on one of the female immigration officers.
“What do you want from us, we told you to leave us alone, we have done nothing wrong but you keep on following us,” she shouted.
When the pastor came to the rescue of the wife, who by then was pinned down by police officers, with congregants also trying to help out, one of the officers fired a teargas canister.
The congregation scattered in different directions, while a few brave ones, those choked with teargas tried to retrieve the children who were still in the house.
The pastor’s wife was immediately dropped at the nearby Kalikiliki Police Station, while the husband was proceeded to the immigration Head Office with congregation trailing them.
And in a video footage released by Omega Fire Ministries, Apostle Suleman (in dark suit in the picture below) sounded a serious warning to the Zambian leadership.
He alleged that Zambians have a way of allowing foreigners to start big investments in the country, allow them to grow the investment and later deport them so that Zambians take over the investments. He claimed that this is what happened to his pastor who is has since been deported.
He further claimed that Nigerians were the biggest investors in Zambia.
He warned that when small little known countries like Zambia continue doing such to foreign investors, no investment will come into the country.
He added that his church here has grown so much that it is attracting attention and now the state wants to fight it.
“If you fight my pastor, you are fighting me,” he said. “And if you fight me, wait for the results, there will be problems. There will be reactions.”
He went on: “Its not the best thing to do. When you do this, you send signals around the world. I am saying this because I know they are watching me. There are people you touch and things will just spoil.”