Bishop John Wesley Yohanna Disowns Publication on DSS Arrest of Rev. Bazel Yoila

Retired Bishop Emeritus of the Global Methodist Church of Nigeria, Bishop John Wesley Yohanna, has categorically distanced himself from a publication titled "Bishop John Wesley Condemns DSS Arrest of Rev. Bazel Yoila" circulated by some media platforms not Taraba Truth and Facts Newspaper.

In a statement issued on Thursday, Bishop Yohanna clarified that owing to his current health condition, he was unable to physically avail himself at the scene or properly ascertain the facts surrounding the arrest of Rev. Bazel Yoila by the Department of State Services (DSS).

He explained that any statement attributed to him suggesting firsthand knowledge or a definitive position on the incident was not based on verified information from him.

The retired cleric disclosed that he was visited by some young men he believed to be Christian brethren, noting that such visits were customary even during his active years in ministry. He said he was unaware that the visit was intended to extract a narrative, adding that one of the visitors later shared a version of events which he subsequently discovered to be misinformation.

"To my greatest surprise, these same individuals went ahead to publish a completely different version of the story without my consent or authorization," he stated.

Bishop Yohanna strongly condemned the use of his name to spread misinformation, seek undue relevance, or tarnish the reputation he said he had built over a lifetime of dedicated service to the Church.

He emphasized that he laboured faithfully for the body of Christ throughout his active years and is now retired with his integrity intact. Consequently, he said he completely dissociates himself from the said publication and any misrepresentation of his person or position regarding the arrest of Rev. Bazel Yoila by the DSS.

The Bishop also tendered an unreserved apology to the public over the incident.