society
Harvest of deaths: Ogun community where mothers, newborns die during childbirth
Harvest of deaths: Ogun community where mothers, newborns die during childbirth
In Igbokofi, a sleepy community nestled in the Yewa North Local Government of Ogun State, no functional healthcare facility exists, thus leading to high maternal and child mortality. SODIQ OJUROUNGBE writes on the harrowing experiences of residents, especially pregnant women and the high price they pay in this neglected enclave.
Behind the amazing greenery and quiet façade presented by Igbokofi, an agrarian community lays gloom, grief and deep-seethed anger that boil from being denied one of life’s fundamental rights – accessible healthcare.
Here, maternal and infant deaths appear to be a norm and a fate they have come to accept.
Governance, to Igbokofi’s residents, is just a mirage and one that happens in a faraway land.
The story of Tosin Ayeni breaks the heart because her death due to pregnancy-related complications was avoidable.
As she lay on a hard bed in a small, dark room that fateful night, all that this first-time mother (primigravida ) wanted was to cuddle her bundle of joy after going through the rigours of labour.
Drenched in sweat and shaking from the effects of excruciating pains travelling from her waist down to her legs, she looked at her husband with fear in her glazed eyes.
They would have rushed her to the nearest health centre had it not been abandoned years back by the state government and overtaken by thickets.
The nearest primary health centre to them is located in Ijoun, which is a two-hour ride on a motorcycle, on a rough, unmotorable road.
While another alternative, though shorter and could be life-threatening to a pregnant woman due to its mountainous layout is a hospital that can be annexed within 45 minutes in the Republic of Benin.
However, after considering the two options and realizing that they could be dangerous for Tosin, her husband, Sanjo and his father-in-law, Ayeni, had to make a last-minute decision to seek the assistance of a popular traditional birth attendant in the next community.
The elderly TBA after taking one look at the pregnant woman, told them she was in very bad shape and her life was in danger but assured them that she would try her best.
Sadly, the TBA skill was limited and could not do much without proper equipment.
After hours of groaning and grunting, she gave birth to a baby girl, but minutes later, life ebbed out of her.
As the family grieved, they also had to care for the newborn baby, who was a prototype of her later mother.
“I watched my wife suffer and then die. There was nothing I could do. She left a hole in my heart,” Sanjo said with bloodshot eyes.
Tosin’s father, PUNCH Healthwise learnt, never recovered from the death of his daughter.
And days turned into weeks, and rolled into months, overwhelmed by grief, Ayeni’s health deteriorated, and he became a shadow of his former self.
In early September of 2023, he slept and never woke up.
The deaths of Tosin and her father were just two among the long line of tragedies witnessed in the community.
Folakemi Olaniyi is yet to get over the death of her child after being mismanaged during childbirth in a private hospital.
According to her, she was later taken to Ijoun Primary Health Centre after her baby’s head and hands got stuck in the birth canal.
Olaniyi told our correspondent that she was referred to the Ayetoro General Hospital by the health workers when they realized that she had lost a large amount of blood.
The woman was later moved to Lantoro Hospital in Abeokuta, where a cesarean section was carried out to remove the baby, who had become distressed at the time.
“The doctors battled to save our lives but my baby did not survive. If the community had a working, well-equipped hospital, my baby would still be alive,” she cried.
However, PUNCH Healthwise learnt that Olaniyi not only lost her child, but she can no longer conceive as her womb was badly damaged due to a rupture during labour.
“I spent two months in the hospital. If there was a qualified government hospital here, I would have been attended to immediately.
“I have four children, and whenever they are sick, I take them to a health centre in Ijoun, which is very far, or to a hospital in Benin Republic. If there is no money, they are treated with herbs. The government should please provide the community with a hospital.
Another resident, Bernice Ogunyomi, said she always takes her child, who requires regular blood transfusions to the Republic of Benin for treatment.
She lamented that even the health centre in Ijoun could not attend to her child’s medical needs.
Expressing her frustration, She lamented, “Whenever we take our children there (Benin Republic), we pay through our nose. Many people have no choice but to go to Benin Republic for treatment, and as for me, my priority is to get good treatment.”
A community without primary healthcare
PUNCH Healthwise learnt that Igbokofi, a town with about 9,000 people, which borders the Republic of Benin, has witnessed decades of deaths, while residents face an uncertain future.
Some of the villages under Igbokofi are Bode-Igbokofi, OkeEyo-Igbokofi, Omilende-Igbokofi, Asaga-Igbokofi, Idigbo-Igbokofi, Owode-Igbokofi, Ipinle-Igbokofi, Igbonla-Igbokofi, Oosada-Igbokofi, Baginiwo, OriOke, among others.
Most of the residents told our correspondent that the death of Tosin and her father did not come as a surprise to them because such happens often.
They claimed that they have lost of the number of people that have died from preventable diseases and childbirth-related complications due to the absence of a primary health centre.
Maternal/infant death is a norm
PUNCH Healthwise investigation revealed that pregnant women and their unborn infants are at serious risk due to a lack of healthcare facilities and the absence of competent healthcare providers.
Speaking with our correspondent, a field missionary to Ohori Nations, and the proprietor of Christ Way Academy in Igbokofi, Pastor Kunle Garb, said the community once had a government hospital, which was eventually shut down due to a lack of health workers and government failure to provide necessary amenities.
He revealed that another hospital constructed by the National Boundary Commission, and handed over to the Ogun State government was never put to use, lamenting that residents now deal with high rates of maternal and child mortality.
Tortuous road
For Igbokofi residents, the lack of a functional health centre is just part of the many challenges they are faced with as the community lacks other infrastructure like good roads, electricity and potable water.
Accessing the place from Ayetoro, a major town, was treacherous.
The main artery leading to the community was unpaved and narrow and often became impassable during the rainy season.
PUNCH Healthwise observed that the road was uneven and lined with deep potholes filled with murky water.
Travelling on the road, our correspondent observed, would be dangerous for pregnant women or those in need of urgent medical care.
The residents told PUNCH Healthwise that they have over the years lost many of their loved ones while transporting them to the health centre in Ijoun.
They described the road as a source of great frustration and appealed to the state government to intervene.
Garb, who is also one of the community leaders in Igbokofi said during the last campaign, the state government promised to repair the road leading to the community as well as other roads, and lamented that the indifference to their suffering after the election is mind-blowing
“Despite being a community of about 7,000 registered voters, we have not felt any evidence of good governance.
“The only time we see any government official is during election season when they come to the village to make empty promises.
“But after the elections, they would disappear, leaving the people of Igbokofi to fend for themselves.
“The lack of government support is a major factor in the community. Without access to education or healthcare, many people will struggle to find jobs or improve their living conditions.
“Without proper roads, we are isolated from the outside world and can’t access markets or other opportunities. The cycle of poverty will be difficult to break. The people of Igbokofi feel trapped,” “ he blurted in anger.
Child deaths high in Ogun
According to the United Nations Children’s Fund infant and under-five mortality rates have remained steady in Nigeria, at 74 and 117 deaths per 1,000 live births, respectively.
UNICEF noted that at these mortality levels, one Nigerian child of every 13 born dies before reaching age one, while one in every eight does not survive to their fifth birthday.
Meanwhile, a UNICEF report released in 2022, revealed that Ogun State recorded the highest number of children’s deaths in the southwestern part of the country.
The survey conducted by the Nigeria Bureau of Statistics in collaboration with UNICEF and other partners indicated that Ogun recorded the highest figures in neonatal mortality, infant mortality, and postnatal care for newborns, among others in the region.
The Social Policy Specialist of UNICEF, Mohammed Okorie, while speaking on this at a two-day media dialogue on the 2022 Multiple Indicator Clusters, explained that the estimations were “part of the MICS 6 results released by the NBS on August 16, 2022.”
Quoting the NBS, he said, the survey estimated that 56 out of 1000 children between the ages of zero and 11 months died after birth in Ogun State.
Okorie stated further that 68 out of 1000 children between the ages of 0 and less than one year died after their birth in Ogun State.
He noted that the state has also ranked the highest in deaths of children under five years with a record of 85 deaths out of 1000 children.
He further said that Ogun also recorded the lowest newborn care with an estimation of 77 per cent.
According to the World Health Organisation, as of 2017, Nigeria’s maternal mortality rate was estimated at 917 per 100 000 live births and increased by nearly 14 per cent in 2020 to reach 1047 deaths.
Ogun State Government refused to save us – Community leader
Corroborating this data, the acting Baale of the community, Pa Jacob Ogunyomi stated that in the last two years, childbirth complications claimed the lives of about five pregnant women, while more than 20 children have died before they clock five.
He said several letters have been written to the government highlighting the community’s dire predicament, but none of them have been treated as urgent or important.
“The greatest challenge we have is that we don’t have a hospital, those that were working have been abandoned and were later closed.
“When we try to patronise private hospitals, we don’t get good medical treatment and they are very expensive. The other option we have is to take those who are sick and pregnant women to Ijoun, which is a two-hour journey from Igbokofi.
“The government should provide a good hospital, health workers, and a motorable road. One of the issues is that whenever they transfer new health workers here, they will stop coming because of the bad road. If there are good roads, then it will be better,” he explained in smattering English.
Hospital built by National Boundary Commission rots
PUNCH Healthwise further gathered that a health facility built by the National Boundary Commission in 2010 was abandoned.
Our correspondent learnt that it the commission handed over a five-in-one project which included a hospital, school, market, police station, and workshop to the state government.
However, while the market, police station, and school were put to use by the residents, the hospital was shut despite the state government being aware that one of the main reasons for building the hospital was to curb the high rates of maternal and child mortality recorded in the community.
During PUNCH Healthwise visit, it was observed that the building was already falling apart, while the paints had practically washed off, revealing just bare cement.
It was clear that no one had set foot in the building for years.
The residents said the hospital was built to bring healthcare closer to them but that the aim was never actualised.
While inspecting the abandoned hospital, our correspondent discovered that the damage went beyond the peeling paints and broken windows, as it was discovered that the floorboards were rotting.
Ambulance taken away
Garb told our correspondent that some of the burglaries had been stolen.
He said, “The last time government officials came was the day the Boundary Commission came to hand these properties to them. They did not do anything since then. The ambulance that was handed over to the government with the name of Igbokofi inscribed on it was taken away that same day.
“The hospital was never equipped and the building was left to rot since 2010, and nothing has been done about it. Several efforts to get the attention of the government have not yielded any positive response.”
Corroborating Garb’s claims, some residents claimed the state government took away an ambulance donated by the Boundary Commission and gave it to the Ayetoro General Hospital.
They accused the state government of turning a blind eye to their plight and exposing them to needless deaths.
The residents insisted that the Toyota Hilux ambulance would have been a lifesaver, as it would have been used to transport sick people to the nearest hospital within minutes.
They also claimed it was taken away because there was no intention to equip the hospital or provide an alternative one – a primary health centre in the community.
They lamented that in the absence of an ambulance, they use other crude means to transport the sick and injured, and in most cases pregnant women to the Ayetoro General Hospital.
Dilapidated primary healthcare
PUNCH Healthwise observed that the only Ogun State Primary Health Centre in Igbokofi is overgrown with weeds, and according to the residents, it stands as a stark testament to years of indifference.
Garb told our correspondent that the health centre, which serves about 16 villages around Igbokofi, was shut down 12 years ago because of the bad road.
“The hospital was closed down 12 years ago and people left in the hands of quacks who claim to be doctors.
“People have died due to lack of health facilities in the community and around. Even the Ijoun community that we usually rush to doesn’t have a well-equipped primary health centre. It is just so unfortunate.”
Left in the hands of quacks
Residents of Igbokofi revealed that they are forced to rely on traditional healers and quacks who operate private clinics, lamenting that they do more harm than good.
A Cocoa farmer and resident of Igbokofi, Ogunyomi Benjamin, said they prescribed drugs without proper medical tests.
He said, “My wife gave birth at home, and that is the same for others here. Most women give birth by themselves at home, and this has resulted in many deaths because there is no doctor to take care of them.
“Also, when our people get sick, we don’t have anywhere to take them for treatment and many of our women have died from being prescribed the wrong medications after childbirth.
“It is only God that is taking care of our children because there is no hospital and no qualified doctor. We just mix several drugs and give them to take. God is the only one helping us.
“We want the government to give us a good general hospital and they should put enough drugs there for us to use, with a qualified doctor.”
Quacks contribute to high maternal and child mortality
A study titled, ‘The Impact of Quackery and Unreliable Health Facilities on Maternal and Child Mortality in Nigeria’ by Dr Abibat Fakunle of the University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital, found that lack of trained healthcare professionals and unreliable health facilities are major factors contributing to high maternal and child mortality in the country.
The study discovered that the prevalence of quackery in the healthcare sector was a major factor contributing to high maternal and child mortality.
While describing quacks as unqualified or untrained individuals who practice medicine without proper training or certification, the study noted that such people often provide substandard or even harmful care, leading to poor outcomes for patients.
The study found that this practice was common in rural areas, where access to qualified healthcare professionals is limited. It also found that many patients were unaware of the risks of seeking care from unqualified practitioners.
The study recommended increased funding and regulation of the healthcare sector to ensure that quality healthcare is available to all Nigerians.
According to a gynecologist and reproductive health expert at Federal Medical Centre, Idi-Aba, Abeokuta, Dr. Adetola Olayinka, quackery and inadequate healthcare facilities are major factors contributing to maternal and child mortality in Nigeria
He, however, pointed out that quackery is not the only factor contributing to maternal and child mortality, adding that environmental factors such as poor sanitation, lack of access to clean water, and exposure to toxins can also have a major impact on health outcomes.
Healthcare is every Nigerian’s right – Physician
The medical practitioner underscored the importance of access to qualified healthcare professionals and the need for better regulation of the healthcare sector.
“Healthcare is a right, not a privilege. All Nigerians, regardless of their socioeconomic status, deserve access to quality healthcare. I call on the government to invest in healthcare facilities, train and retain qualified healthcare professionals, and regulate the healthcare sector to ensure that the people are protected from quackery.
“Poverty and poor health go hand in hand. Children who live in poverty are more likely to suffer from malnutrition, which can lead to lifelong health problems. We must do more to address the underlying causes of poverty and improve access to basic needs like health,” he noted.
Govt keeps mum
When our correspondent reached out to Lekan Adeniran, the Chief Press Secretary to Governor Dapo Abiodun, he was directed to the Commissioner for Health, Dr. Tomi Coker.
However, the commissioner’s number was not reachable but four messages sent to her WhatsApp indicated that they were read.
When our correspondent reached out again to the governor’s CPS, Adeniran, he was told to either go to the commissioner’s office or wait for the commissioner’s response.
PROFESSIONAL PROFILE OF CHINEDU NSOFOR (CEO, WORK WHILE IN SCHOOL GROUP)
Chinedu Nsofor is a dynamic and seasoned technocrat, a visionary social worker, an International Development Expert, and an accomplished programmes development and management expert with over 15 years of diverse professional experience. He is a trailblazer in youth empowerment, job creation, and social innovation, renowned for his creative problem-solving skills and unmatched ability to transform challenges into sustainable opportunities.
With a strong academic foundation—holding a B.Sc. in Social Work from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, and an M.Sc. in Social Work (Industrial Social Welfare) from Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Ogbomoso—he combines intellectual depth with practical expertise. His distinguished career reflects his unwavering commitment to tackling unemployment in Nigeria, a mission he has pursued through pioneering initiatives such as the Work While in School Programmes, the IMOFINTEC project for 5,000 youths, and several other impactful programmes across tertiary institutions, government bodies, and international organizations.
Recognized as a versatile project management expert, innovative business development strategist, creative writer, professional biographer, media consultant, and Wikipedian, Nsofor’s influence extends across social, economic, and academic spheres. His professional track record includes leadership roles in reputable organizations such as the Nigeria Association of Economists, Global Coalition for Sustainable Environment, Iwuanyanwu Foundation, the Imo State Government Committee on Science and Technology Roadmap (2020–2030), and Asia Pacific Sports International, where he has served as Nigeria’s Programmes Director.
Heiss is also currently the Country Director (Nigeria), RapidHeal International, a health intervention firm with its global headquarters in Malaysia. Beyond his rich portfolio, he is celebrated for his divine wisdom, inspirational leadership, and Midas touch in wealth and job creation, having directly empowered over 50,000 youths across Nigeria with life-transforming skills. Passionate, resourceful, and impact-driven, Chinedu Nsofor stands out as a nation-builder whose contributions continue to shape lives and institutions to the glory of God.
Customs at the Crossroads: When Lawmakers Look Away and the Executive Looks Aside
By Dr. Bolaji O. Akinyemi
In a democracy, legislative oversight is the scalpel that cuts through deceit, inefficiency, and corruption in public institutions. It is the people’s last institutional shield against abuse of power. But what happens when that shield becomes a shelter for the very rot it is meant to expose? And what happens when the Executive arm, whose duty is to supervise its agencies, pretends not to see?
The unfolding drama between the National Assembly and the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) reveals more than a policy dispute. It exposes a dangerous triangle of confusion, complicity, and economic sabotage. At stake is not only the rule of law but the survival of an economy already gasping under inflation, a weak naira, and suffocating costs of living.
The House Talks Tough
In June 2025, Nigerians saw a glimpse of legislative courage when the House of Representatives Committee thundered at Customs:
> “Nigerian Customs Service, by June 30, must not collect CISS again. You are to collect only your 4% FOB assigned by the President. Even the 7% cost of collection you currently take is illegal—it was an executive fiat of the military, not democratic law. Any attempt to continue these illegal collections will be challenged in court. The ‘I’s have it.”
The voice was firm, the ruling decisive. Nigerians expected a turning point.
But the righteous thunder of the House was quickly muffled by the Senate’s softer tone, which suggested not the enforcement of the law but a readiness to bend it.
Senate: Oversight or Escape Route?
At a Senate Customs Committee session, Senator Ade Fadahunsi admitted openly that Customs has been operating illegally since June 2023. Yet rather than demand an end to illegality, he extended a lifeline to Comptroller-General Bashir Adeniyi:
> “If we come back to the same source… the two houses will sit together and see to your amendment so you will not be walking on a tight rope.”
But should Adeniyi be handed a loose rope while Nigeria’s economy hangs by a thread?
Instead of accountability, the Senate Customs Committee floated adjustments that would make life easier for Customs. The nation was given hints about fraudulent insurance and freight data, but instead of sanctions, what we saw was a search for escape routes. This is not oversight—it is overlook.
Smuggling and Excuses
The Senate Committee also lamented cross-border smuggling—Nigerian goods like cement flooding Cotonou, Togo, and Ghana at cheaper prices than in Nigeria. Senator Fadahunsi blamed the Central Bank’s 2% value deposit for encouraging the practice.
But where are the Senate’s enforcement actions—compliance checks, stiffer sanctions, cross-border coordination? None. The result is predictable: smugglers prosper, reserves bleed, and ordinary Nigerians pay more for less.
A Bloated Customs Budget
The Service’s 2024 capital allocation ballooned to ₦1.1 trillion from ₦706 billion. Instead of channeling these resources into modern trade systems, Customs is expanding empires of frivolity—such as proposing a new university despite already having training facilities in Gwagwalada and Ikeja that could easily be upgraded.
Oversight is not an afterthought; it is the legislature’s constitutional duty. To see waste and illegality and yet propose amendments that would legalise them is to turn oversight into overlook.
Customs has about 16,000 staff, yet many remain poorly trained. Rather than prioritise capacity building, the Service is busy building staff estates in odd locations. How does Modakeke—an inland town with no border post—end up with massive Customs housing projects, while strategic border towns like Badagry, Idiroko, and Saki remain neglected? Is Bashir Adeniyi Comptroller-General of Customs—or Minister of Housing?
The 4% FOB Levy: A Policy Blunder
The central controversy is the Federal Government’s plan to replace existing port charges with a new 4% Free-On-Board (FOB) levy on imports.
Nigeria is an import-dependent nation. This levy will instantly hike the costs of cars, spare parts, machinery, and raw materials—crippling industries and punishing consumers.
Already, the consequences are biting:
A 2006 Toyota Corolla now costs between ₦6–9 million.
Clearing agents who once paid ₦215,000 for license renewal must now cough out ₦4 million.
New freight forwarder licenses have jumped from ₦600,000 to ₦10 million.
Customs claims the revenue is needed for its modernisation programme, anchored on a software platform called B’Odogwu. But stakeholders describe this so-called “Odogwu” as epileptic—if not comatose. Why commit trillions to a ghost programme that will be obsolete by January 2026, when the Nigerian Revenue Service is set to take over Customs collections?
Industry Raises the Alarm
The Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN) has warned that the levy will worsen inflation, disrupt supply chains, and hurt productivity.
Lucky Amiwero, President of the National Council of Managing Directors of Licensed Customs Agents, calls the levy “economically dangerous.” His reasoning is straightforward:
The 4% FOB levy is much higher than the 1% CISS it replaces.
Peer countries like Ghana maintain just 1%.
The new levy will fuel inflation, raise the landed costs of goods, and destabilise the naira.
He also revealed that the Customs Modernisation Act, which introduced the levy, was passed without Senate scrutiny or meaningful stakeholder consultation. He estimates that the levy could add ₦3–4 trillion annually to freight costs—burdens that will be transferred directly to consumers.
Who Is Behind the “Odogwu” Masquerade?
The haste to enforce this levy, despite its looming redundancy, raises disturbing questions. Who benefits from the “Odogwu” project draining trillions? Why the rush, when NRS will take over collections in a few months?
This masquerade must be unmasked.
The Price Nigerians Pay
For ordinary Nigerians, this policy translates into one thing: higher prices. Cars, manufactured goods, and spare parts are spiraling beyond reach. A nation struggling with inflation, unemployment, and a weak currency cannot afford such reckless experiments.
So, while the Senate looks away, the Executive cannot look aside.
The Executive Cannot Escape Blame.
It is easy to focus on the failings of the legislature. But we must not forget: the Customs Service is an agency of the Federal Ministry of Finance, under the direct supervision of the Honourable Minister of Finance, Mr. Wale Edun.
If Customs is breaking the law, wasting resources, or implementing anti-people policies, the buck stops at the Executive’s table. The Minister of Finance is Chairman of the Customs Board. To fold his hands while the Service operates in illegality is to abdicate responsibility.
History gives us a model. In 1999, the Minister of State for Finance, Nenadi Usman, was specifically assigned to supervise Customs and report directly to the President. Meanwhile, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala focused on broader fiscal and economic policies. That division of responsibility improved accountability. Today, the absence of such an arrangement is feeding impunity.
President Tinubu and his Finance Minister must act decisively. Oversight without executive will is a dead letter.
A Call to Accountability
The truth is stark:
Customs has been operating illegally since June 2023 to the Senate’s own confession.
The 4% FOB levy will deepen inflation and worsen economic hardship.
The Ministry of Finance bears ultimate responsibility for Customs’ conduct.
Until importing and consuming, Nigerians demand accountability—of the Comptroller-General, the Senate, and above all, the Finance Ministry—this bleeding will continue.
Nigerians deserve better. They deserve a Customs Service that serves the nation, not a privileged few. They deserve a House that enforces its resolutions, not one that grandstands. They deserve a Senate that upholds the law, not one that bends it. And above all, they deserve an Executive that does not look aside while illegality thrives under its ministry.
Only public pressure can end this indulgence. If Nigerians keep silent, we will keep paying the price—in higher costs, weaker currency, and a sabotaged economy.
Citizens’ Charge: Silence is Not an Option
Fellow Nigerians, the Customs crisis is not a drama for the pages of newspapers—it is a burden on our pockets, our businesses, and our children’s future. Every illegal levy is a tax on the poor. Every abandoned oversight is an open invitation to corruption. Every silence from the Executive is an approval of impunity.
We cannot afford to fold our arms. Democracy gives us the power of voice, the duty of vigilance, and the right to demand accountability. Let us demand that:
The Senate and House of Representatives stop playing good cop, bad cop, and enforce the law without compromise.
The Ministry of Finance takes full responsibility for the Customs Service, supervising it in the interest of Nigerians, not vested interests.
The President intervenes now, before the Service crosses the dangerous line of turning illegality into policy.
History will not forgive a people who suffered in silence when their economy was bled by recklessness. Silence is complicity. The time to speak, to write, to petition, to protest, and to demand is now.
Customs must serve Nigeria—not sabotage it.
Dr. Bolaji O. Akinyemi is an Apostle and Nation Builder. He’s also the President of Voice of His Word Ministries and Convener Apostolic Round Table. BoT Chairman, Project Victory Call Initiative, AKA PVC Naija. He is a strategic Communicator and the CEO, Masterbuilder Communications.
Email:[email protected]
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Apostle Johnson Suleman: Firebrand of Faith, Prophet to the Nations, Voice to a Generation
By Femi Oyewale
In the beginning, there was just one man with a burning vision. Today, that man has become a global force whose voice thunders across continents, whose prayers ignite miracles, and whose mission is transforming destinies worldwide. He is Apostle Johnson Suleman, the fiery Restoration Apostle, the humanitarian preacher, and the global trailblazer reshaping the Christian faith for a new generation.
From Auchi to the World
Born in Auchi, Edo State, Nigeria, Apostle Suleman’s rise from humble beginnings to international prominence is nothing short of remarkable. What started as a divine calling has now evolved into a global mandate, reaching millions through Omega Fire Ministries International (OFM).
His story is the classic tale of vision meeting conviction—of a man who dared to believe God not just for himself, but for nations. From a modest congregation, OFM has spread like wildfire, with branches in Africa, Europe, Asia, the Americas, and beyond.
The Man & The Mission
To know Suleman is to understand passion—passion for God, for people, and transformation. He lives by one mantra: populate Heaven, depopulate Hell.
His pulpit is a battlefield, his voice a trumpet, his words a sword. Through his fiery sermons, prophetic declarations, and healing crusades, countless men and women testify of divine encounters—cancers healed, destinies restored, impossibilities overturned.
But beyond the pulpit lies the heart of a humanitarian. Suleman’s mission has always extended beyond preaching. He funds scholarships for the underprivileged, empowers widows with homes, sets up businesses for struggling families, and supports countless orphans. In times of crisis, he has sent relief materials across regions, proving that true ministry is not only heard—it is seen.
The Impact
Step into one of his crusades, and the atmosphere tells its own story. Stadiums overflow. Multitudes gather, hungry for hope. From London to Houston, Dubai to Johannesburg, crowds testify to healings, deliverance, and restoration.
Through Celebration TV and other digital platforms, Suleman’s voice penetrates homes, villages, and cities, giving access to millions who may never step into a physical church. His boldness in confronting social ills and speaking truth to power has also established him as a fearless voice beyond the church walls.
The Global Moves
Apostle Suleman is not just a Nigerian voice—he is a global phenomenon. His recent international crusades draw audiences in their tens of thousands, breaking barriers of race, culture, and language.
From prophesying to presidents to laying hands on ordinary citizens, his message is universal: God still speaks, God still heals, God still restores.
Each global tour solidifies his place as one of the most influential Christian leaders of the 21st century. He is as comfortable commanding a crowd in Chicago as he is in Accra, as bold in Paris as he is in Abuja.
The Legacy in Motion
Apostle Johnson Suleman is more than a preacher—he is a movement. A man consumed by vision, driven by compassion, and equipped with an anointing that refuses to be confined by borders.
From Auchi to America, from pulpits to palaces, from widows to world leaders, his impact is undeniable. And as the Restoration Apostle continues to blaze trails across nations, one thing is certain: his legacy is still unfolding, and his global moves have only just begun.
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