Stephanie Otobo, the Canada-based singer has recanted her story she was involved in a sexual relationship with Apostle Johnson Suleman of Omega Fire Ministries.
In a twist to the story she had maintained since March last year, she said she was paid to lie, opening herself to the risk of being convicted for blackmailing Suleman.
The singer in a trending video said she was approached and paid by politicians and some pastors to blackmail Apostle Suleman.
She said during a church programme in Auchi she fell for their bait because she wanted to further her career.
Otobo made the disclosure before Suleiman’s church congregation in Auchi, Edo state.
Watch the full confession here:
She was also shown asking for forgiveness from the cleric and his wife. This was drowned by the voices of protest by the congregation.
Otobo, last year March at a briefing with journalists in Lagos revealed what allegedly transpired between her and the Edo based cleric.
She said apart from frolicking with the pastor in Lagos, she had sex escapades with him in the United States, Italy and revealed how they arranged their meetings and payments she received.
It was not clear what will happen to the libel case Suleman instituted against her in a Lagos court. Stephanie is also facing a police charge of blackmailing Suleman.
The case was heard on Thursday in Lagos, during which Stephanie asked the court to compel Suleman to allow an examination of his penis. Saharareporters was joined as a defendant in the case, along with her.
In the counter-claim filed on her behalf by her lawyer, Festus Keyamo, Otobo denied the allegation of libel against the preacher.
Miss Otobo stated that Apostle Suleman was aware that she is resident in Canada and not Lagos as he claimed. She explained that sometime in 2015, she called the preacher for counselling after she attended his crusade in Canada.
During the course of her phone conversation with Apostle Suleiman, she introduced herself to him that she lives in Canada, studying and working at the same time. She said she was surprised at how the pastor was flirtatious on the phone instead of providing spiritual counseling.
She further stated afterwards, Apostle Suleman started calling her and in one of the telephone conversations, he claimed his wife does not give him enough attention because she is too devoted to the worship of God. She claimed that it was the preacher that lured her into the amorous affair, inundating her with various cash gifts. She said she will present evidence of money transfers into her account by the preacher.(Read More in Saharareporters)
Miss Otobo said what she did was to react to claims by Apostle Suleman that she was a stripper and prostitute all in a bid to discredit her, using some blogs and paid media men. She added that she only instructed her solicitors to privately write to Apostle Suleiman on his breached promise to marry her.
Miss Otobo asked the court to declare as libelous a publication on the website of Apostle Suleman’s church as well as a press release he issued and caused to be published on www.naija.ng and the online edition of the Sun Newspaper.
The young woman is also seeking an order restraining Apostle Suleman from further publishing libelous materials against her. She is also asking the court to award aggravated and exemplary damages against the preacher from whom she also wants the court to extract a public apology.
The police in March last year had docked the 24 year-old Stephanie at a Tinubu Chief Magistrates’ Court, and accused her of conspiracy, blackmail, threat to life and an intent to steal.
She was charged along with a 43 year-old, man identified as Wisdom Godstime.
The prosecutor, M. A Animashaun, informed the court that the defendants and others at large committed the alleged offence on February 14, 2017, at about 10:30am, at Police College, Ikeja Lagos. (NAN)
