Synagogue Church Building Collapse: Coroner Summons TB Joshua To testify November 5

Prophet T.B. Joshua

By Akinwale Akintunde

The coroner’s inquest constituted by the Lagos State Government to investigate the circumstances which led to the collapse of a six-storey building in which many lives were lost at the Synagogue, Church of all Nations ,at Ikotun area of Lagos, has fixed November 5 for the founder of the church, Prophet T.B. Joshua, to appear before it.

The inquest headed by Chief Magistrate Oyetade Komolafe insisted that Joshua must appear before it to give a first-hand testimony about what happened during the building collapse.

“The court has summoned him; let him come and tell us what he knows. The court has said that for the purpose of what we are doing that he should come over,” Komolafe said.

The coroner’s inquest was constituted under the Lagos State Coroner’s System Law No. 7 of 2007 to investigate the causes and circumstances of the collapse of the building on September 12 that killed about 115 people, and bring its findings and recommendations to the appropriate authorities.

Komolafe had led a team of interested parties to the scene of the incident last week to have a first-hand understanding of the incident, adding that the visit would assist the inquest in reaching its findings.

On Friday, the coroner’s inquest also heard from two witnesses from the Lagos State Fire Service and Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA), Adebayo Musiliu Olayinka and Bamidele Wasiu.

The Lagos State Fire Service representative, Musiliu, who said he has 34 years experience in rescue operation, told the court that there was nothing to suggest that the accident occurred as a result of explosion.

The witness, under cross-examination by the counsel to the church led by Mr. Jude Nnadi (SAN) said though he was not an expert in building construction but the survey he conducted immediately he arrived at the scene of the collapse did not depict any sign of explosion or implosion.

The second witness, Wasiu, who is LASTMA Zonal Head for Ikotun/Ejigbo told the inquest that his agency was only responsible for managing the heavy traffic that occurred during the collapse incident.

Present at the sitting were representatives of Nigeria Aviation Management Authority (NAMA), Standards Organization of Nigeria (SON), Red Cross, the Nigeria Police, Lagos State Fire Service, Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA) and Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA).

Others were South Africa High Commissioner to Nigeria, Lulu Louis Mnguni; Consul General, Ambassador Mokqethi Monaisa and a relative of one of the building collapse victims, Ifeanyichukwu Osondu.

The Coroner while adjourning to Tuesday, October 28, ordered that the names of all guests who were in the building at the time of the collapse must be submitted to the court to enable the Chief Pathologist of Lagos State to identify the bodies and return the remains to their families.