Benson Otobo, father of Stephanie Otobo, the woman in the centre of infidelity allegations against the general overseer of Omega Fire Ministries Worldwide, Apostle Johnson Suleman, spoke with some religious affairs correspondents in Abuja on Monday, March 6, 2017.
Otobo, denied any knowledge of a relationship between his daughter and Apostle Suleman and said that no marriage introduction ever took place.
The Canada-based musician, who uses the stage name, Kimora, claims in letters by her lawyer, Festus Keyamo, that Apostle Suleman and his family had done an formal marriage introduction for her, “taking drinks and gifts to her parents” to indicate his interest in marrying her.
Omega Fire Ministries has branded Ms. Otobo a liar and says she is a stripper who tried to blackmail the church’s leader of N500 million. She was arrested by the Nigeria Police Force in Lagos following a “sting operation” involving receiving extortion money from the church.
Her father, a cleric, says that her case is that of “like mother, like daughter” as he divorced her mother over 30 years ago for alleged unfaithfulness.
Q. Is Stephanie Otobo your daughter? If yes, we will like to hear your side of the story regarding the controversies that have been flying round her and Apostle Suleiman.
A.Yes, she’s my daughter. Does it mean that you people did not receive the text message I sent to earlier?
Q. We just want to hear your side, what really happened? We ask this because there’s this allegation through the letter by a Lagos lawyer, Festus Keyamo, that there was a relationship between your daughter and the man of God, who made proposal to marry your daughter. Did he approach you?
A. Not at all.
Q. So there was nothing like introduction regarding marriage between Apostle Suleiman and your daughter in your house?
A. Not at all. Apostle Suleman does not even know where I live.
Q. How did this matter come up then?
A. I don’t know…I was shocked to hear this thing just yesterday (Sunday). I’m not part of it at all. Even that my daughter, like the text I sent out earlier, as I speak, we are at loggerhead because two months ago, I saw her picture in the internet, through her WhatsApp. I had a shout with her on the way she dressed and I saw her with and all that, I now advised her that ‘look, why are you dressing like this, you need to dress decently. She flared on me, giving me names, calling me names, telling me ‘you are not serving God’ and different kinds of things I cannot even reveal to you now. She insulted me and told me that from that day on, I was not her father anymore and that I should just forget about her for life. If a daughter is telling her father like that, I don’t know why I would be involved in anything that concerns her. I’m not aware of all these things that she’s talking about.
Q. Is she really a singer, or is she really a musician?
A. I don’t know my dear. She told me she lives in Canada, I don’t know who she knows there.
Q. But she actually stays in Canada?
A. Yes, she told me she’s there in Canada.
Q. Okay, where is her mother?
A. Her mother is in Sapele. And it’s going to 30 years now that I divorced her mother, when the children were even small because of her unfaithfulness. So, I have divorced her for a very long time.
Q. How old is Stephanie?
A. Stephenie is about twenty something years
Q. Have you made any contact with Apostle Suleiman since this issue came up?
A. I’m not part of this girl, she’s on her own? Yes, I spoke with him to clear my name.
Q. Where did this girl grow up, was is it with her mother or you?
A. She grew up with the mother, she was very small when I divorced her mother. What is happening now is like ‘like mother like daughter.’
