Halima Abubakar, a Nollywood actress, has tendered an apology to Apostle Johnson Suleman, the senior pastor and general overseer of Omega Fire Ministries International for accusing him of sleeping with her.
The apology, shared on her verified Instagram page on Wednesday, comes years of back-and-forth allegations, media drama, and legal battles between the two individuals.
The bad blood between Halima, a Kano State born actress, and Apostle Suleman first became public in 2022, when the 39-year-old actress accused the pastor of having an affair with her.
Halima claimed that their relationship led to severe health complications. She accused Suleman of contributing to her deteriorating medical condition.
The actress alleged that the cleric continued engaging in intercourse with her despite her suffering from unusual bleeding. She also claimed she experienced multiple miscarriages during their time together.
In response, the 53-year-old televangelist denied the allegations, describing them as an attempt to tarnish his reputation. Through his legal team, he said Halima Abubakar’s claims were defamatory and aimed at extorting him. His lawyer, Abdul Mahmud, said that Mr Suleman filed a N1 billion defamation lawsuit against the actress in 2022. Halima did not attend court hearings, which led to multiple adjournments.
As the legal battle continued into 2023, Suleman’s legal representatives accused the actress of deliberately avoiding the court proceedings. By mid-2023, they had grown confident of a favourable outcome in the lawsuit, with the court eventually ruling in Mr Suleman’s favour in April 2024. Halima Abubakar was ordered to pay N10 million in damages, retract her defamatory statements, and refrain from making further public accusations.
On Wednesday Halima backtracked on her allegations with a public apology.
''I am writing to you today to acknowledge the falsehoods I made against you on social media and to offer my sincerest apologies," the actress wrote.
“After deep reflections, and for my conscience to be in accord with God, I have realized the depth of the harm, pains and distress caused by my lies.
“I admit that I made false allegations against you; and also regret my actions and the damage I caused to you, your wife, Dr. Mrs. Lizzy Suleman, your family, and the Leaders of the Omega Fire Ministry.
“With this letter, I humbly ask for your forgiveness, recognizing that my apology cannot undo the harm, pains and distress I caused and I ask you find a place in your heart to forgive me as I was not thinking right then.
“Sir, you have done a lot for humanity, please, extend your hands of forgiveness toward me.
“Once again, Sir, I am truly sorry for all the hurts and distress I caused you, your family, and your ministry.
“Thank you very much and may the Heavens calm your heart. God bless you, Sir."
Suleman responds
In a brief message on his verified Facebook page, the 53-year-old preacher urged people who have seen Halima Abubakar’s apology to stop calling him.
He stressed that while he has forgiven, it doesn’t mean he has forgotten, and stated that the situation will remain unchanged.
He wrote, “You all (followers) stop calling my phone. Forgiveness is not memory loss! Status quo maintained!…AJS (Apostle Johnson Suleman).”
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