By Emmanuel Awari, Jalingo
The former Bishop of Global Methodist Church in Nigeria (GMCN), Bishop John Yohanna Wesley, has distanced himself from a media report, describing it as unverified information attributed to him.
In a statement signed by Bishop Wesley, he said, “I, Bishop John Wesley Yohanna, retired Bishop Emeritus of the Global Methodist Church of Nigeria, hereby categorically distance myself from the publication titled, ‘Bishop John Wesley Condemns DSS Arrest of Rev. Bazel Yoila,’ circulated by Taraba Dailygraph and other platforms.”
Bishop Wesley explained that due to his current health condition, he was unable to physically avail himself at the scene or properly ascertain the facts surrounding the matter.
“Any statement attributed to me suggesting firsthand knowledge or a definitive position on the incident was therefore not based on verified information from me,” he said.
He clarified that he was visited by some young men who claimed to be Christian brethren, but later discovered that their intention was to extract a narrative, and one of them brought to his attention a version of events that turned out to be misinformation.
“To my greatest surprise, these same individuals proceeded to publish a completely different version of the story without my consent or authorization,” Bishop Wesley said.
He condemned the use of his name to promote misinformation, saying, “I strongly condemn the use of my name to promote misinformation, seek undue relevance, or tarnish an image I have built over a lifetime of dedicated service to the Church.”
Bishop Wesley distanced himself entirely from the publication and tendered his unreserved apology, saying, “I distance myself entirely from the said publication and any misrepresentation of his person or position regarding the arrest of Rev. Bazel Yoila by the Department of State Services. I tender my unreserved apology.”