Apostle Johnson Suleman, the Senior Pastor and General Overseer of Omega Fire Ministries International, has issued a pointed response to Nollywood actress Halima Abubakar’s recent public apology for making defamatory statements about him.
In a brief post on the social media platform X.com on Wednesday, Suleman addressed the situation, saying, “You all stop calling my phone. Forgiveness is not memory loss! Status quo maintained!”
This response follows Abubakar’s apology, in which she expressed remorse for the comments she made about Suleman.
In a statement shared on her Instagram account, Abubakar admitted that her previous claims were “false and hurtful,” acknowledging the distress caused by her allegations.
“I deeply regret the pain I caused with my statements, which were made in poor judgment at the time,” she wrote. Abubakar explained that her apology came after “deep reflection and conscience,” and she asked for forgiveness from Suleman and his family.
The controversy began in 2022 when Abubakar alleged that she had been involved in a romantic relationship with Suleman.
Her claims escalated in 2023 when she publicly stated that she had been pregnant by the cleric on three occasions.
Suleman pursued legal action, and in April 2024, a Federal Capital Territory High Court ruled that Abubakar must pay N10 million in damages for her defamatory remarks.
The court also ordered her to refrain from making further statements against the pastor and to issue a public retraction on her Instagram account.
Abubakar’s apology appears to be in compliance with the court’s directive. However, Suleman’s terse statement suggests that while he may have forgiven the actress, the matter is far from forgotten.
