Nigerian lawyer and activist, Deji Adeyanju, has reacted to a trending video of Port Harcourt-based clergyman, David Ibiyeomie of Salvation Ministries, threatening to arrest and detain anyone who reports on him negatively.
In a video circulating online, the cleric accused some bloggers of deliberately twisting his messages for their ulterior motives. Declaring that he would not tolerate misrepresentation, Ibiyeomie vowed to take firm action against anyone who “crosses the line.”
He added that he would not be moved by pleas for mercy, insisting he will deal decisively with those who defy him.
“My type when I go after people, they will now send people to come and beg. So I’m warning you for the last time. Next time, there will be nothing like a warning. If you dare it. A young man, I know you. Your father won’t beg me, I know your father too. Your mother won’t beg me. I will deal with you.
Because when I pick them and people say, why do you go like this? You know, people are one kind – some people will be for me and some people will be against me. But for me, there are always many.
I’m warning all of you who used to be against me. Hear now, because when I go that way, they will say ‘how can a man of God curse people, go and arrest people, will you do this one’.
So, when I go the other way, don’t come back to say this man of God is now using the police to arrest people. I will arrest you, I will lock you up. I don’t care. No man of God will pray for you and succeed.
Don’t carry my news. I don’t want your news. You won’t make me popular. Already, I am talking to the world. Good or bad, don’t carry my news. I don’t want you to carry it. Don’t carry news from this church.
You know what they do? They will carry news and incite other bloggers. And some of you in this church are part of it. They plant you inside the church, and instead of you listening to the message and getting blessed, you now pick one thing and twist, say what I didn’t say.
My gospel is before you slap, I slap you. I am not that kind of pastor. Young man, I will fight you.”
Reacting to his comments, Adeyanju argued that people criticised Jesus and did not get locked up, so Ibiyeomie cannot threaten to lock anyone up.
Read Adeyanju’s reaction and also watch the trending video of the cleric below…
Madukwe B. Nwabuisi is an accomplished journalist renown for his fearless reporting style and extensive expertise in the field. He is an investigative journalist, who has established himself as a kamikaze reporter.
