Apostle Johnson Suleman, the Senior Pastor and General Overseer of Omega Fire Ministries International, has addressed Nollywood actress Halima Abubakar’s recent public apology regarding her defamatory statements, emphasizing that forgiveness does not imply forgetting.
In a brief statement posted on X.com on Wednesday, Suleman remarked, “You all stop calling my phone. Forgiveness is not memory loss! Status quo maintained!”
This response follows Abubakar’s admission of guilt in a public apology, where she acknowledged that her previous remarks were “false and hurtful.” In her Instagram statement, she expressed remorse for the distress her allegations caused to Suleman and his family, attributing her actions to a lapse in judgment and a desire for reconciliation driven by “deep reflection and conscience.”
The controversy began in 2022 when Abubakar claimed on social media that she had a romantic relationship with Suleman, leading to legal threats from the pastor over her “defamatory statements.” The situation escalated in 2023 when she alleged that she had been pregnant three times with Suleman’s child.
In April, a Federal Capital Territory High Court ruled in favor of Suleman, ordering Abubakar to pay N10 million in damages for her derogatory comments. The court also issued a restraining order prohibiting her from making further defamatory statements against the cleric. Additionally, the judge mandated that Abubakar publish a retraction of her earlier allegations on her Instagram account.
