Court indicts Joshua’s Synagogue church, says aircraft not cause of collapse

By Abdulwahab Abdulah & Bartholomew Madukwe

LAGOS — AFTER 10 months of sitting, the Lagos Coroner’s Inquest into the collapse of a six-storey building belonging to the Synagogue Church of All Nations (SCOAN), yesterday, in Ikeja indicted the church for “criminal negligence” and recommended that it be prosecuted. 116 people died in the tragic incident.

The court said the Church did not get the necessary permit or approval before commencing  construction of the building.

The Lagos State Government inaugurated the Coroner’s Inquest under the state’s Coroner’s System Law No. 7 of 2007 to investigate the cause and circumstances leading to the death of 116 people, mostly South Africans,  following the building collapse of September 12, 2014, and bring its findings and recommendations to the appropriate authorities.

The Coroner’s Court, presided over by Chief Magistrate Oyetade Komolafe, in its verdict, held that the “death of victims of the collapse was consistent with blunt force trauma that would normally be sustained from a collapsed building.”

Komolafe noted that most of the victims sustained various injuries ranging from haemorrhage, loss of limbs, crushed bones, multiple rib fractures, perforation of the lungs, destruction of left tibia vessels, strangulation, and chest wounds.

Aircraft not cause of building collapse

He said the alleged aircraft which SCOAN claimed hovered over the building minutes before it collapsed was not the cause of the collapse of the building.

Mr. Komolafe called out the names of the 116 victims and gave specific details on the causes of their deaths. He said 60 of them were males while there were 56 females, including a six-year-old child. He said six of the victims were yet to be identified. Eighty-five of the victims were South Africans, 22 Nigerians, two Beninoise and two Togolese nationals.

The Coroner’s Court also held that structural failure due to combination of designs and detailing errors were the cause of the building collapse.

It added that the state government should as a matter of urgency carry out detailed ‘fitness for habitation test’ on all the structures/buildings within the premises of the Synagogue Church of All Nations, situated at Segun Irefin Street, Bolorunpelu, Egbe, Lagos State.

DPO to be transferred

On the conduct of the Police at the scene of the accident and the testimony given by the Police at the Coroner’s Court, Magistrate Komolafe recommended that the DPO attached to Ikotun Division of the Nigeria Police, CSP Haruna Alaba, be replaced immediately because  he has become too compromised to lead a credible investigation. He said Mr. Alaba failed to take note of what was happening in his area and had to rely on information from the Police headquarters.

He equally charged the government to reduce the cost of obtaining necessary building permits/approvals as well as removing all administrative bottlenecks to encourage individuals/organizations go through the due process of obtaining necessary permits before commencement of building construction.

Komolafe said: “Alleged aircraft was not the cause of the building collapse. Building permits/approval was not obtained in respect of the collapsed building. The foundation failure was a remote cause of the collapsed building.”

The court said that the contractors Oladele Ogundeji and Akinbela Fatiregun, both engineers) of HardRock Construction Co. Ltd., who handled the collapsed building project for SCOAN be investigated and tried for criminal negligence by the relevant authority.

Magistrate Komolafe pointed out that government agencies must be rid of corruption, including issuance of fake receipts and “greasing of palms” during inspections on construction sites.

The recommendations

The recommendations read in part: “Synagogue Church of All Nations be prosecuted by the relevant authorities for not possessing necessary building permits.

“Individuals/Organizations must endeavour to obtain relevant building permits before commencement of any building construction.

“Individuals/Organizations must engage the services of qualified and competent Engineers/Consultants in carrying out building constructions.

“Relevant authority should carry out detailed ‘fitness for habitation test’ on all the structures/buildings within the premises of the Synagogue Church of All Nations, situated at Segun Irefin Street, Egbe, Lagos State immediately.

“Government agencies responsible for ‘monitoring and inspection’ at every stage of construction should be alive to their responsibility and vigilant. Alternatively, the function of ‘monitoring and inspection’ be outsourced to competent professional body that will detect violation of building law and regulations early before any failure.

“Statutory/First Responders should be adequately equipped to perform their functions effectively and efficiently.

“The Government, NGO’s and other ancillary bodies should educate and sensitize the public on the need to always allow the statutory/first responders perform their duties during rescue operations/emergency cases and not take over the duties.

“Government should make it mandatory for professionals involved in the design and supervision of major structural building constructions to have professional indemnity.

“Government should take steps to secure and preserve the site of any collapsed building, so as not to compromise the conduct of investigation at the collapsed site.”

We’re not guilty –SCOAN

Reacting to the judgement, Mr Olalekan Ojo, counsel to the church and Pastor T. B. Joshua said no findings were made about the church by the coroner and that it never indicted the church for the collapsed building.

Ojo said: “Yes, the court said the church building collapsed due to structural failure but never said the church was guilty of any offence. So, with the situation I never doubt my client may challenge the verdict of the coroner.”

 

Court indicts Joshua’s Synagogue church, says aircraft not cause of collapse

Coroner’s inquest: Court fines T.B. Joshua N25,000

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A Lagos State High Court sitting in Ikeja has awarded a N25, 000 fine against the Founder, Synagogue Church Of All Nations, Prophet T.B. Joshua, for “deliberately stalling hearing” in a suit he filed against a Lagos coroner, Magistrate O.A. Komolafe.

TB Joshua

Komolafe is the coroner probing the September 12, 2014 building collapse in the premises of SCOAN in Ikotun, Lagos. No fewer than 116 persons, mostly South Africans, died in the incident.

Justice Lateefa Okunnu, while awarding the cost against Joshua on Tuesday, berated the prophet for “wasting the time of the court and tax payers’ money.”

The judge expressed displeasure that the matter, which was filed in December last year, had been bogged down in several adjournments at the instance of Joshua.

Okunnu’s order followed the announcement by Joshua’s lawyer, Chief Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), that his client had filed two fresh applications before the court in relation to the case.

“We filed two processes yesterday. One is a motion and the other one is the applicant’s consolidated reply on points of law,” Fagbemi told the judge.

Counsel for the Lagos State Government, Mr. Karmardeen Bakare, said he had just been served with the said processes on Tuesday morning in the court premises.

The state counsel said it would be impossible for him to go on with the case in the circumstance as he needed time to look at the fresh applications and reply appropriately.

He therefore urged the court for an adjournment.

Okunnu said it was clear that the day’s proceeding had been hampered by Joshua’s fresh applications.

The judge said the fine must be paid before the next adjourned date and that Joshua must file an affidavit of compliance as evidence.

The prophet had approached Okunnu, asking for a judicial review of the coroner’s inquest into the building collapse in his church.

The coroner’s inquest, which commenced on October 13, last year had the mandate to determine the cause of death of the victims.

But Joshua, in his application before Okunnu, asked the judge to determine whether the witness summons served on him to appear personally before the coroner was not a breach of his right to fair hearing.

He had also argued, through Fagbemi, that the coroner had been extending the inquest into areas outside his jurisdiction.

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Coroner’s inquest: Court fines T.B. Joshua N25,000

Synagogue: Weapon investigator says collapsed building attacked

A 37-year-old weapon researcher and graduate of Chemistry from the University of Maiduguri, Mr. Biedomo Iguniewei, has said that the collapsed six-storey building within the premises of the Synagogue Church for All Nations could have been felled with a high energy infrasonic radiation.

TB Joshua

Iguniewei on Monday told the coroner probing the circumstances surrounding the September 12 tragedy that he was in a position to reach such a conclusion based on his work experience with the Defence Industry Corporation of Nigeria, where he said he had worked for six years.

He said the aircraft that reportedly hovered above the church shortly before the building came down could have fired infrasonic radiation weapons at the building.

The witness described himself as an independent consultant with specific interest in explosives and weapon research and that he is currently a post-graduate student of Explosives and Material Science at the Nigerian Defence Academy.

No fewer than 116 persons, mostly South Africans on pilgrimage to SCOAN, reportedly died in the incident.

The witness said that due to his background and research experience in explosives and military weapons, he took personal interest in the collapsed building and had consequently visited the site of the collapsed structure all the way from Kaduna with a view to carrying out a research and publishing a paper.

“I was worried when I heard them talking of controlled demolition. And from the video that I watched, I started asking myself: What could have led to the building crumbling in near vertical fall?” Iguniewei said.

Iguniewei said that after eliminating all the other possible options, he came to the conclusion that the building could possibly have been fired upon with infrasonic radiations.

According to Iguniewei, an infrasound is a type of sound measuring below 20Hz, which is below what the normal human ear could detect.

He said, “The striking thing about infrasound is that you cannot hear it and you cannot see it but it causes remarkable vibrations when used as a weapon.

“Those of us who work with the security know that weapons are produced and they are always looking for where to test them.

“I am of the opinion that what happened that day, especially with the strange plane-like objects seen in the video, was that an infrasonic radiation was fired upon the building; and if you observe, you will discover that it took about 30 minutes for the building to come down.”

He added, “It is important for this court to be aware of this option but why it could have been used here is another matter entirely.

“But since I have been pondering on why a building would collapse the way this one did, this is the most plausible explanation for me.”

The witness said it had become important to consider the option of infrasonic radiation, especially with the repeated movement of the aircraft, which was said to have repeatedly passed over the collapsed building.

“That plane-like object flew close to the building, and that is all that is needed for the infrasonic radiation to reach the building. As far as I am concerned, the repeated overpass of the plane-like object is to ensure that the building received enough dose of the radiation sufficient to bring it down.

“Engineers generally believe that a structure would fail due to bad foundation and bad materials but if you go there now the foundation pillars are still very intact. My position is that the building weakened from the top,” Iguniewei insisted.

When asked what would be seen as the evidence in the aftermath of an infrasonic attack on a building, the witness said there would be no material evidence because the radiation neither generated heat nor resulted in burning or charring.

He said, “The bomb expert who is looking for chemical residue will not see anything like a by-product and of course there is no charring because all that the radiation does is to cause a vibration of the atoms from their position resulting in the emission of electrons.”

Meanwhile the suit filed by the founder of SCOAN, Prophet T.B. Joshua, to challenge his invitation to testify at the inquest was stalled on Monday.

The suit could not be heard as the defence counsel told the court that he had only just been served on Monday morning with a further affidavit filed by SCOAN.

Justice Lateefa Okunnu consequently adjourned till January 12, 2015.

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Synagogue: Weapon investigator says collapsed building attacked

Synagogue: Court hears Joshua’s suit against coroner December 22

A Lagos State High Court in Ikeja has slated December 22, 2014 to hear the application for a  judicial review of the coroner’s inquest into the September 12 Synagogue building collapse.

TB Joshua

Justice Lateefat Okunnu, on Friday, announced the adjournment to allow the parties to regularise the positions.

The applicants are the Founder of the Synagogue Church Of All Nations, Prophet T.B. Joshua, and the Registered Trustees of the church.

They had asked Justice Okunnu to determine whether the witness summons served on Joshua to appear before the coroner to give testimony was not a violation of his right.

They further contested that the coroner, Magistrate O.A. Komafe, had been extending his inquisitions into areas beyond his statutory power.

About 116 persons reportedly died in the collapsed six-storey guest house belonging to the SCOAN.

Komolafe had, on Wednesday, dismissed an application seeking a temporary suspension of the coroner’s inquest.

Meanwhile, at the resumed sitting of the coroner on Friday, a witness of the Standard Organisation of Nigeria, Engr. Theophilus,  continued with his testimony.

Theophilus told the coroner that the results of the tests conducted by the SON on the debris collected from the site of the collapsed building could not be entirely relied upon in determining the cause of the building collapse.

Theophilus, a civil engineer, made the submission while being cross-examined by the counsel for SCOAN, Mr. Olalekan Ojo.

“The result of the laboratory tests cannot be entirely relied on to ascertain the cause of the building collapse because the strength of the sample debris collected from the site and taken to the laboratory for test had reduced as a result of the collapse.

“The debris could not produce satisfactory result,” Theophilus said.

Further hearing in the inquest was adjourned till December 15, 2014.

Reporters from Television Continental and Channels Television will give testimonies before the coroner.

They are expected to show to the coroner the video clips of events as captured during the rescue operation.

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Synagogue: Court hears Joshua’s suit against coroner December 22

SYNAGOGUE: Coroner dismisses Joshua’s prohibition application

By Abdulwahab Abdulah, Bartholomew Madukwe & Ebele Okafor

LAGOS—The presiding judge of a Lagos State Coroner’s Court sitting in Ikeja, Chief Magistrate Oyetade Komolafe, yesterday, dismissed the prohibition application moved by the Registered Trustees of the Synagogue Church of All Nations, SCAON, alongside its founder, Prophet Temitope Joshua, asking it to stay proceedings pending determination of a substantive motion of judicial review before Justice Lateefa Okunnu of the state’s high court.

Dismissing prohibition application

TB Joshua

Dismissing the prohibition application, Magistrate Komolafe ruled that the proceeding before the Coroner’s court is a judicial inquiry into the cause of the collapsed guest house belonging to SCOAN which claimed the lives of 116 persons.

While stating that there is no party before the court, the judge declared that all the authorities cited by counsel while adopting their written addresses has nothing to do with coroner proceedings.

“This court cannot adjudicate on this motion on notice as doing so would amount to operating outside the scope of a coroner’s court,” Magistrate Komolafe held.

Describing the application as an abuse of court process, the Coroner declared that there is no automatic appeal against the findings and conclusions of a coroner’s court.

The coroner judge also held that Justice Okunnu who is currently adjudicating on the motion ex-perte brought by the applicants has not issued a restraining order against further proceedings of the inquest, saying “this application is incompetent and lacking in merit. Same is hereby dismissed accordingly.”

Further proceeding on the matter has been adjourned till December 12, 2014.

Joshua through his lawyer, Mr Olalekan Ojo, had filed a substantive application before Justice Lateefa Okunnu of Lagos State High Court, challenging the invitation of Prophet T.B. Joshua by the coroner court.

“This court (Coroner) being a lower court to the High Court cannot speculate on the outcome of a higher court. The best legal position is to adjourn this cause of proceeding till outcome of the application before Justice Okunnu. Where a higher court has taken position courts in the lower hierarchy must bow. If the High Court does not agree with us, then we resume at the coroner.

Court’s jurisdiction

“The jurisdiction of this court to enquire into certain areas have been challenged before a higher court. The concept of jurisdiction is multi-faceted in nature, just like in the case of Doyin Okupe vs. Federal Board of Inland Revenue, FBIR. Asking questions on how engineering defects brought collapse to the building are outside the jurisdiction of the coroner’s court. A person acting within a jurisdiction can exceed its jurisdiction unconsciously when asking questions outside its jurisdiction,” Ojo said.

According to him, on November 17, 2014, the High Court of Lagos State sitting at the Ikeja Judicial Division presided over by Justice Okunnu granted leave to the applicants in suit No. ID/188/MJR/2014 to apply for a judicial review of the proceedings in the Suit No. CR/AL/101/2014 which is still pending.

Judicial review before High Court

Ojo told the coroner court that in the judicial review before the High Court, the applicants (Prophet T.B. Joshua and Synagogue church) are praying the High Court to determine whether the statutory jurisdiction of the Coroner’s Court under the Coroner’s System Law 2007 particularly sections 15 and 40 of the Coroner’s Law is limited to conducting inquest into the cause and manner of death and does not extend to inquiry into matters that are not directly causative of the death or deaths being inquired into.

Other prayers are: “Whether or not the Honourable Court acted within its powers in issuing witness summons on the 2nd applicant (Prophet T.B. Joshua) at the time when the Coroner had not commenced sitting or taking evidence.

“Whether or not the respondents to the application for judicial review ought to be prohibited from continuing with the conduct of the inquest into the tragic death of unknown persons in the collapsed building at the Synagogue Church of All Nations on September 12, 2014 on grounds of bias or likelihood of bias on the part of the Honourable Court.”

Replying on point of law, a senior State Counsel, Mr Akingbolahan Adeniran, argued that in line with Section 40 of the Coroner’s System Law 2007, the major interest is on how a death occurred and there is no definition in Coroner Law that restraints the how.

“This is not the forum to argue an application before Justice Okunnu. The sole issue for determination in this application is whether the applicants has placed sufficient evidence in its favour. There is currently no order by Justice Okunnu for stay of proceeding, which she would have done if she needed to do so. The ground for stay of proceeding is not automatic. It is because the applicants filed an application that there should be a stay of proceeding,”  Adeniran argued.

The State Counsel noted that till date the applicants have not presented any witness before the court and the request for the name of the contractor took almost three months of the collapsed building. He urged the court to dismiss the application because the applicants have not presented sufficient material before the coroner court for it to decide in the applicants favour.

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SYNAGOGUE: Coroner dismisses Joshua’s prohibition application

Nigeria did not exchange Synagogue bodies for arms – Presidency

Nigeria has denied a report by a South African newspaper that the two countries agreed on a deal to exchange the bodies of South African worshippers who died in a Church building collapse in Lagos, for arms.

President Jonathan and President Zuma

At least 80 South Africans died when a guest house owned by Synagogue Church collapsed in September, just about the same time South Africa seized a Nigerian airplane with $9.7 million cash meant for arms purchase for the Nigerian military.

Another tranche of N5.3 million was also seized later.

The South African government said the transactions breached its laws and that the money would be forfeited to the state.

The controversy about the cash money came as South Africa faced delays in repatriating the bodies of victims of the Synagogue church crash.

The report by South Africa-based Mail and Guardian said the two countries agreed to exchange favours by completing the botched arms deal and the repatriation of the bodies.

The South African government has denied the report.

But the newspaper cited official correspondences and interviews with top government officials to back its story, which it said remains true.

A senior aide to President Goodluck Jonathan, Reuben Abati, told PREMIUM TIMES on Friday that the two countries had no such negotiations, and said the report was “completely absurd”.

“There is absolutely no connection between the repatriation of the body and the arms money. They are completely two issues,” Mr. Abati said.

He said any claim that there was such as understanding would be a “disservice to the memory of the dead”.

Mail and Guardian report cited two letters written by the South African special envoy in-charge of facilitating the repatriation of the bodies of the victims, Jeff Radebe, to Directorate for Priority Crime Investigations and South African National Conventional Arms Control Committee (NCACC) trying to legitimise the arms deals despite two court orders freezing the money.

“Although the required administrative processes were not adhered to at the time, the government of South Africa deems it a bona fide error,” Mr Radebe wrote, generating suggestions that while in Nigeria, Mr. Radebe might have reached a deal with the Nigeria government to sort out the hitches.

Mr. Abati said such a suggestion was “preposterous.” He said there was no politics involved in the return of the bodies to South Africa.

“It would be a disservice to the memory of the dead to play politics with such an issue. It would be preposterous for anybody to suggest that the Nigerian government would be asking for a deal to repatriate the bodies,” he said.

The presidential aide said both governments were committed to repatriating the bodies so that the families of the victims can reach a closure on the issue. He added it was simply about human lives and respect for the victims as well as their family and nothing more.

Mr. Abati said the delay experienced in the repatriation of the bodies was as a result of the process of forensic identification of the bodies and experts from both countries worked together to make it a success.

When asked if Mr. Radebe could have felt indebted by the help he received from the Nigerian government and wanted to show appreciation by helping release the seized money, Mr. Abati replied that there was no question of indebtedness as the concern of both countries was to bring a closure on the issue.

“Nobody said anything about indebtedness,” he said. “The Nigerian government also felt the urgent need for the bodies to be repatriated. You know as African our culture demands that we bury our dead properly. It is a cultural thing so that family can reach a closure on what happened.”

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Nigeria did not exchange Synagogue bodies for arms – Presidency

Synagogue: TB Joshua’s application stalls coroner’s inquest

The coroner probing the September 12 Synagogue building collapse in Lagos, Magistrate A.O. Komolafe, on Wednesday suspended further sitting till Friday, December 5, 2014.

TB Joshua

Due to the abrupt suspension of the court’s proceeding on Wednesday, Komolafe could not take the testimonies of all the witnesses that had been invited to appear before the court.

The decision to suspend sitting came after the Founder of the Synagogue Church Of All Nations, Prophet T.B. Joshua, through his counsel, Mr. Olalekan Ojo, had informed Komolafe of a pending application before Justice Lateefat Okunnu of the Lagos State High Court, Ikeja.

In the said application, Joshua had asked for a judicial review of the coroner’s proceedings.

Among other things, Joshua also asked that the invitation served on him to appear before the coroner should be put on hold pending the outcome of the application before Justice Okunnu.

At the commencement of Wednesday’s proceeding, Ojo reminded the coroner of the application, adding that he had just served it on the Lagos State Government.

Ojo said the application was not yet ripe for hearing because he had yet to serve it on all the other necessary parties to enable them reply as appropriate.

Responding, counsel for the Lagos State Government, Mr. Femi Adamson, confirmed that his clients had just been served and that they had not filed their reply.

The coroner said it was only proper to dispense with the application first before going on to take evidence from other witnesses.

Komolafe apologised to the witnesses who were already in court that the inquest had to adjourn to enable the lawyers do their jobs.

He therefore directed Ojo to serve the application on the relevant parties to enable them file their responses.

He also disclosed that the church had submitted the name and address of the contractor who handled the collapsed building, Hardrock Construction and Engineering Company, to the inquest.

 

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Synagogue: TB Joshua’s application stalls coroner’s inquest

Synagogue: Joshua challenges coroner’s summons

By Abdulwahab. Abdulah & Bartholomew Madukwe with agency report

LAGOS—Lawyers to the Nigerian preacher, TB Joshua said yesterday they had mounted a legal challenge against the Lagos Coroner’s court who has ordered him to testify about a fatal building collapse at his Lagos mega church in Ikotun area of the state.

TB Joshua

Joshua has been summonsed twice to give evidence at the inquest examining the circumstances of the September 12 tragedy in which 116 people were killed, but failed to appear on both occasions.

The latest no show by the popular televangelist yesterday seemed to have angered coroner Oyetade Komolafe, who said he would order his arrest.

But the pastor’s lawyer, Olalekan Ojo, told reporters after the hearing: “We have gone to the high court to challenge the jurisdiction of the coroner to issue a witness summons.

“The coroner has unconsciously exceeded his jurisdiction in that he has started inquiring into matters that are not causative of deaths.”

Komolafe was furious that Joshua, known to his followers as “The Prophet” or “The Man of God”, was not present for the start of proceedings on Thursday after failing to appear on November 5.

On that occasion, Ojo said Joshua had been “unavoidably absent,” and failed to receive the summons. “We don’t want the impression to be created that The Prophet is avoiding the court,” he said.

Yesterday, Komolafe said: “Any of the witnesses who is not in court today will be arrested. I think the court has been lenient enough.”

Joshua, who counts presidents and powerful politicians from across Africa among his flock, has claimed the collapse was caused by a mysterious aircraft seen “hovering” over the building at the time.

Ojo confirmed that his client had received the latest summons and added that his appearance was conditional on the outcome of the high court challenge.

“The Prophet has respect for the law of the land and will not do anything that will hurt the law,” he said.

“If at the end of the day, it is appropriate for The Prophet to appear he will be in court. We do not intend to abuse the legal process.

“Besides, The Prophet has a milk of human kindness. He is still grieving over the horrendous loss of lives. Coming to court is not proper. It is not a good way of showing respect for the dead.”

Technical hitch stops proceedings

Proceedings into the on-going coroner inquest into the September 12 Synagogue building collapse was yesterday stalled by faulty electronic  recorder, which eventually forced the sitting to be adjourned till today .

At the resumed hearing of the investigation before the coroner yesterday, Magistrate O.A. Komolafe, the Standard Organization of Nigeria, SON, represented by Mr. Bede Obayi, Head, Inspectorate and Compliant Department of the SON told the coroner about their investigation of the materials collected from the rubbles of the collapsed building.

Expectedly, the Standard Organisation of Nigeria, the Lagos State Ministry of Works, Synagogue Church Of All Nations, the contractor that built the failed structure and its founder, Prophet T.B. Joshua are to testify yesterday.

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Synagogue: Joshua challenges coroner’s summons

Who owns the private jet that flew close to Synagogue building?, disables ask

By Abdulwahab Abdulah & Bartholomew Madukwe

LAGOS—The coroner inquest into the collapsed building at the Synagogue Church of All Nations, SCOAN, took off yesterday with the Coroner Judge, Magistrate Oyetade Komolafe requesting the South Africa government to allow families of the deceased to donate blood for DNA test towards identifying the victims, also some disables who claimed to have benefited from the goodwill of the church founder, Pastor T. B. Joshua flooded the court with placard asking who owns the private jet that flew close to the building?

T.B Joshua church refuses to allow us rescue trapped victims – NEMA

Magistrate Oyetade Komolafe said he will facilitate early release of their corpses for burial after identification.

Also, the Coroner Judge, disclosed that the court was not constituted to witchhunt, but to find the cause of the building collapse and the deaths as well as making necessary recommendations to prevent future occurrence in line with the state coroner law.

Magistrate appeals

In his appeal, Magistrate Komolafe explained that the DNA examination was a major aspect of the inquest, noting that it would be difficult for the pathologists to carry out their work if the deceased relatives were not available to identify their deceased relations.

Majority of the victims recovered from the debris of the building collapse were South Africans.

Komolafe said: “I sympathize with the families of the victims as well as South Africa government, but I want to seize this opportunity to state the importance of the DNA to this inquest.

“Relatives of victims should donate blood to enable the pathologists identify the bodies. The medical team and pathologists are working because the court has directed them to carry out the activities and report back.

“It is important for the South African embassy to ensure that relatives of the victims come forward for the pathologist to get the needed samples to compare with the bodies.

“Those corpses have to be properly identified and when that is done and the process completed, the bodies will be released to the South African government and they can take them home if they so wish.

“We have to work together. We should not allow anything to cause misunderstanding between Nigeria and South Africa because we are one, at least we are blacks. Please, let us work together to make this process a success.”

Church assures on support

While the church represented by Prince Lateef Komolafe also promised an absolute support to the Coroner, the court urged necessary parties in the proceedings to cooperate with the court so as to come out with adequate information and recommendations.

Considering the procedure to be adopted to enhance smooth and speedy result, Magistrate Komolafe agreed with counsels representing the parties by allowing them to file their testimonies through affidavit deposition as well as allowing oral evidence from witnesses.

He stated that the court was not going to be rigid in the application of the rules of evidence and other court rules except where it becomes extremely necessary.

However, he warned that he will not spare any witness who disregard a court summon by compelling his appearance.

Counsel to the church, Prince Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, and the state represented by Mr. Gbolahan Adeniran and the State Police Command, represented by Mr. Chukwu Agwu had had a tough time agreeing on when to visit the scene of the incident.

Fagbemi had requested  the court to grant his client  more time to enable them upload necessary documents, evidences at the court registryas well as arranged their witnesses, who he said will include some foreigners .

While the Officer in Charge of Legal Matters, Lagos State Police Command, Agwu, aligned himself with the request of Fagbemi, the state Counsel opposed the request on the ground that the church supposed to have gathered its witnesses considering when the time when the incident happened.

The police lawyer submitted that he got the summon to appear before the court as at close of business last Friday, arguing he would need time to get documents ready and prepare some deputy commissioners of police for the inquest.

The arguments compelled the court to stand down the case for 15minutes to enable counsels agreeing on a date for the next sitting of the court and the time to visit the locus (site of incident).

Moment after the resumption, the court finally fixed Thursday for visit to the “locus”(site of the collapsed building).

The Coroner Judge, equally appealed to all those who failed to appear at the inaugural sitting to appear before the court at the next adjournment.

He listed them to include the National Emergency Management Authority(NEMA), Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps(NSCDC), Office of the Lagos State Surveyor General and Lagos State Emergency Management Authority(LASEMA) among others.

He directed all counsels to upload all the documents and evidences they intend to file and for responses to be made before the next adjourned date, Thursday October 16,  when the court will visit the church while fixed October 24 to begin the proceeding proper.

Beside the proceedings, some disables who claimed to have benefited from the goodwill of the church founder, Pastor T. B. Joshua flooded the court with placard asking for justice to be done in the case.

Some of them who came on wheel chairs, were carrying placards  with various inscriptions such as: “Who is the owner of the private jet that flew close to the building; CCTV footage can’t tell lies. Please investigate; Tell us the truth: Structural defect or a controlled blast;

“Why targeting foreigners; It is control demolition, not structural failure; Tell us the truth, what collapsed the building; Awareness matters, don’t give way to terrorists.”

Watch the video here: 

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Who owns the private jet that flew close to Synagogue building?, disables ask

T.B Joshua spits again, accuses Nigerians of destroying Nigeria

By Ehi Ekhator, Naija Center News

A Nigerian influential preacher, Temitope Balogun alias TB Joshua has accused the media and many Nigerians of destroying Nigeria.

T.B Joshua church refuses to allow us rescue trapped victims – NEMA

The founder of the Synagogue of All Nation (SCOAN) who his guest house collapsed on Semptember 12 in Lagos,  killing 116 of his members and injured many others, said that the negative commentaries from those who accused him, is an act of painting Nigeria in a bad way before the international community.

TB Joshua has been in the media since last month after he tried to defend the incident and claiming that he was the target. He was also accused of bribing a group of journalists who visited him, to change the negative review against him.

The self acclaimed man of God who has just returned from from Columbia posted a clip on his facebook page titled “A cloud that covers Nigeria has closed my mouth” said Nigerians are paining the image of the country over what happened to him in a bad way through bad press.

Joshua who seems to have exhausted all means to cover up the incident but failed, lamented that Nigerians do not see the good things happening in the church, and no one call CNN whenever something good happens in the country, but be the first to alert international network whenever something bad happens, adding that they are the one destroying the country with their hands.

He said “I just came back from Colombia. Although, I intended to travel from there to another country, but I came back home because there is a cloud that covers Nigeria. I want to witness how this cloud will dispel. Cloud means trouble.

“Look at what is happening here (in SCOAN), you will not see it on a national TV but if you learn that they bombed here, one of you will call CNN that they have bombed Synagogue. All what is happening, you will never see it on the pages of national or international newspapers. You will never see every good thing that happens here (in SCOAN) on these media channels.”

“But if anything bad happens in front of the church, one of you Nigerians, will be the one to make a call. You are destroying your country, selling your country for nothing. It is a very painful thing. You are the ones destroying your country, you, Nigerians.”

“The image you are giving to your country is bad. You destroy your image. You say your nation is bad, everything is bad, even anything good is bad. I am telling you something far, but now, I am telling you something as close as my mouth.

‘’One thing is clear, I have never seen where lies overcome truth. Take note of that. I have never seen where lies overcome truth. Truth will always prevail. I pray, Father, let your will be done, in Jesus’ name.”

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T.B Joshua spits again, accuses Nigerians of destroying Nigeria

Apply criminal law against whoever responsible for synagogue collapse - NITP tells Lagos government

The Nigerian Institute of Town Planners, has called on the Lagos State Government to apply the full weight of the criminal law against anyone found culpable for the collapse of the Synagogue Church of All Nations building in which about 155 people lost their lives.

| credits: Nairaland

The institute called for a thorough investigation into the incident, adding that the probe should not be limited to the owner of the collapsed building, but also to the approving agencies.

The National President, NITP, Chief Steve Onu, who said this at a news conference on Tuesday in Abuja, noted that the enforcement of relevant laws and appropriate sanctions against errant builders would serve as deterrent to those that love cutting corners when building.

According to him, building collapse was not the fault of planners but that of developers who cut corners, noting that many government buildings did not also meet standard town planning requirements.

He said that states are not employing professional town planners while local government councils retain and promote ill-trained urban development staff, adding that it was only the Federal Capital Territory that has a building tribunal in the country.

Onu said, “If what has happened is considered a criminal act, criminal law should be pursued to its conclusion; there is a penalty for negligence, so they should carry out proper investigation even up to the approving agencies. Somebody is supposed to ensure that the building does not continue, so the government investigation should not be limited to Synagogue.

“As much as much as possible, the searchlight should be extended to the approving agencies. Did they give approval? The people who built, did they build according to approval and if they did not give approval then it is an illegal structure, so whatever penalty the law says in respect of illegal structure, should be followed.”

The NITP President whose tenure is winding down, explained that his administration had brought Nigerian town planners to global limelight, adding that the members of the profession are regularly invited to participate at many international fora.

The town planner predicted that the coastal areas of Lagos would experience massive flooding in the future on account of the land reclamation carried out by the developers of the Atlantic City project.

According to him, research had shown that the ice glaciers are melting which has resulted in the rising of the ocean with concomitant flooding of coastal areas globally.

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Apply criminal law against whoever responsible for synagogue collapse - NITP tells Lagos government

Synagogue building collapse: Church, govt in ding-dong

By Olasunkanmi Akoni & Ikenna Asomba

| credits: Nairaland

AS  Lagos State Government continues preliminary investigation into the immediate and remote cause(s) of the collapsed six-storey Guest House of the Synagogue Church of all Nations, SCOAN, there is anxiety in the polity on whether or not the right thing will be done.

Located in Ikotun-Egbe Local Council Development Area, LCDA,  Lagos,  the building was under construction at the collapse claimed over 86 lives.

The investigation is aimed at preventing future occurrence as well as identifying any violation of the state’s building regulatory law and applying appropriate sanction.

According to Lagos state policy on any collapse building, such building is to be taken over by the state government and land titles revoked . There are so many instances where such properties were immediately confiscated. Section 74 of the Lagos State Urban and Regional Planning and Development Law, 2010, states that, “any property or structure that collapses due to negligence on the part of the owner or developer, such property is to be forfeited to the State Government”.

Though, the state government had threatened to apply necessary sanction in the case of  SCOAN if found wanting, so far, no concrete step has been taken even when it seems the  structure had no approval.

Some of the church members have also vowed to resist any form of take over of the church land by government, arguing that the disaster was a terrorist attack as the building materials used were of high standard.

Asked if the area of the collapsed building would be sealed off by the state government, Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Development, Mr. Olutoyin Ayinde, in a statement, ruled out any plan by government to seal the place for now even as he reiterated that the Six- floor Guest House that collapsed on September 12, did not have building approval.

According to Ayinde, “No plans are in the offing to take over the collapsed structure site until thorough and detailed investigation as to the cause(s) of the collapse has been concluded. Government does not arbitrarily take over properties when investigation is still on-going.”

He continued: “Government has commenced preliminary investigation into the cause(s) of the collapse and would leave no stone unturned and if there is any violation of relevant planning law, residents are assured that government would take appropriate action.

“To this end, a team of engineers from the ministry and other state government agencies are taking samples from the foundation and materials from the wreckage of the building for detailed analysis and testing to ascertain the structural integrity of the building.”

On the veracity of the “Strange Plane Theory”, alleged to have dangerously flown low over the building 50 minutes before the collapse, the commissioner disclosed that the ministry had submitted the video clips, as provided by the church to the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) with the coordinate of the collapsed site for investigation and professional comment. As at the press time no update on the investigation so far.

Special Adviser to Governor Babatunde Fashola on Information and Strategy, Alhaji Lateef Raji also said investigation was on going ruling out any revocation matter for now.

“Revocation is always the last resort to ensure total safety of the citizenry and not a punitive measure.” Raji stated.

General Manager, Lagos State Building Control Agency, LABSCA, Mrs. Abimbola Animashaun-Odunayo, said that the result of the investigation would be made public in two weeks.

She affirmed that all the necessary samples had been taken by experts for thorough investigation. According to her, “Experts are currently analysing the samples taken from the scene of the collapse building with a view of determining the cause(s) of the collapse. This will take about two weeks before the result is ready. We want to assure Lagosians that nothing will be swept under the carpet.

 

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Synagogue building collapse: Church, govt in ding-dong

TB Joshua Church: My survival is a miracle – Church worker

A survivor in last  Friday’s collapsed building used as a guest house by The Synagogue Church of All Nations yesterday, gave a graphic picture of his 28 hours experience under the rubbles.

T.B Joshua church refuses to allow us rescue trapped victims – NEMA

The 28 year-old Business administration graduate from the University of West London, who gave his name as Taiwo Temitayo  described his survival as a miracle, adding that while other victims, majority of whom were foreigners died in the debris, a particular woman who was by his side also escaped.

He gave this narration just as the National Emergency Management Agency  , NEMA disclosed that the death toll in the tragic incident was 86, as against the earlier figure which it gave as 80. The number of survivors according to NEMA was still 131.

Besides, indication emerged yesterday that the collapsed building was the wing occupied by South Africans.

Describing his survival  as a walk in the shadow of death, Temitayo, a worker with SCOAN, said “ I read Business science in school but was privileged to be part of the District Coordinator of the church, which  attend to foreigners.

We have a particular time for meals. So on that fateful day,  I was coordinating the lunch, with majority of our guests on the ground floor.  I later went  to get my own food which was sandwich , bread and egg, while the  visitors had two meal options; semolina and egusi and fried rice , fish and salad.

“I left my food and  went to get plastic cups which I placed on the visitors tables. Barely had I finished placing the cups and was about responding to a question by one of our visitors than  I saw the building caving in. I covered by hands with both hands to avoid a brick falling on me. The next thing I saw was a total black out. I  had to switch on my phone to brighten the place. When I wanted to move, I could not because of the brick that was on top of the table I hid under.

I  heard people praying in different languages, including English language. Some were shouting Jesus while others were shouting the blood of Jesus.  I could not shout because I was saving my breath. All I did was to pray in my mind as we were taught. I tried making calls  to alert people  but there was no network.

“At that point, even though I had faith , I prayed to God to forgive me of all known and unknown sins and also asked the Holy Spirit to strengthen me until help would come.  The panic under the rubbles  alone , was enough to kill one.  But I decided to stay calm, awaiting when help would come.

At a point I  could not breath. I started breathing through the mouth. When all hope of getting out alive started dawning , I saw an opening and decided to crawl out. In the process, I had my body pieced by nails and other hard objects. But I refused to bow to the pains and continued until I managed to get outside. By then I was told it was 5.05pm , next day.  The woman by my side  also managed to come out. I was taken to a hospital around Igando, from where I was  discharged”.

 

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TB Joshua Church: My survival is a miracle – Church worker

TB Joshua claims collapse building, an attempt on his life

TB Joshua, one of Nigeria’s best known preachers, has linked a small plane circling over a church guesthouse in Lagos to its subsequent collapse.

T.B Joshua church refuses to allow us rescue trapped victims – NEMA

At least 19 people died and 119 were injured when the two-storey guesthouse for members of the Synagogue Church of All Nations collapsed on Friday.

There is no official comment. Local officials have said additional floors were being added to the structure.

Joshua – also known as the Prophet – regularly preaches to vast crowds.

The popular televangelist says a small plane had circled over the building four times before it collapsed on Friday afternoon and it may have been an attempt to kill him.

“It was yesterday, Friday, as I was praying; they came to call me that there was an airplane hovering over the church. They said it is like it wanted to land,” his statement said.

He said about 30 minutes later, it came over the building several times.

“About five minutes after, the building came down.”

He gave journalists a CCTV video clip of the alleged plane, urging them “to use their discretion to write on what they saw”.

AFP news agency reports cited an official putting the number of deaths at 40. Many foreigners are believed to have been there at the time.

Mr Joshua’s services, at a mega-church in Lagos’s Ikotun district, are known for attracting thousands of people.

Followers in Nigeria and abroad believe he has the gifts of healing and prophecy.

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TB Joshua claims collapse building, an attempt on his life