“I Bought 50 to 60 Copies of Newspapers Attacking Pastor Chris Oyakhilome and Burned Them”: Apostle Johnson Suleman

Apostle Johnson Suleman has recounted how he spent money from his small business years ago to purchase multiple copies of newspapers carrying negative reports about Pastor Chris Oyakhilome, before burning them in an attempt to stop the publications from spreading. Sharing the experience, the preacher recalled that Pastor Chris was facing attacks in the print media at a time when social media had not yet become a major platform for public conversations.

According to him, he was deeply unhappy with the way the man of God was being portrayed in newspapers and decided to take action alongside some fellow believers. He explained that he would visit newspaper stands, identify publications carrying Pastor Chris on their front pages, purchase the available copies and burn them.

“I was angry the way they were attacking that man. So you know what I did? I would go to the newspaper stand. They used to have where everybody would gather, none of you remember that generation, does this still happen now?” he recalled.

He said that at some stands, he bought as many as 50 or 60 copies, while at others he purchased 10.

“Some stand, I would pay for 50; some stand, I would pay for 60; some stand, I would pay for 10. I would buy them, me and some brethren. That was how we got them in the heap. We were burning them. Instead of this thing to spread, we burn it,” he said.

Apostle Suleman explained that his actions were not motivated by a desire to gain Pastor Chris Oyakhilome’s attention or establish a personal relationship with him. He said he was simply moved by his love for God and his desire to prevent what he considered negative publications from spreading further.

“I wasn’t going and dancing around so that the man would know me or the man would be aware. I was just doing it because of my love for God,” he stated.

The preacher added that at the time, he never imagined he would eventually meet Pastor Chris or develop a close connection with him. He described the experience as an act of service to God’s kingdom, stressing that service should not always be measured by whether the person being supported knows who is making the sacrifice.

Reflecting on the broader lesson, Apostle Suleman said believers may not always be able to stop every negative activity, but they can take steps to reduce its impact.

“Now, Satan, we may not be able to stop what hell is doing, but we can frustrate and reduce the impact,” he said.

He also maintained that genuine service to God is not limited to activities within an individual’s local church. According to him, anything that contributes to the growth of God’s kingdom and the spread of the Gospel can be regarded as service, even when it benefits ministries beyond one’s immediate church.