Building collapse: T.B. Joshua, contractor face coroner Nov 5

The founder and General Overseer of the Synagogue Church of All Nations, Pastor T.B. Joshua, has been slated to appear before the coroner investigating the cause of the church’s building that collapsed on September 12, 2014. Joshua will be appearing on November 5, 2014 alongside the contractor handling the collapsed six-storey building. No fewer than 115 died in the collapsed building. The coroner, Magistrate O.A. Komolafe, during the sitting of the court on Friday, stated that the appearance of the church’s founder was important to the findings of the court. Though counsel to the church, Mr. Jude Nnadi, said Joshua’s appearance would not be necessary because he was not an eyewitness to the incident, Komolafe insisted that he must appear. The magistrate, who said he had heard that Joshua had addressed the press at various times, said he must also appear before the court to give evidence. Komolafe said, “We have heard that he has been addressing the press at various times, let him come and address the court. “The court has summoned him, let him come and tell us what he knows. He cannot sit over there and be sending words to us that he cannot come. “The court has said that for the purpose of what we are doing that he should come over.” Meanwhile, a Chief Operational Officer with the Lagos State Fire Service, Adebayo Musiliu, told the court on Friday that his observation revealed that the building did not collapse as a result of explosion. Musiliu, who said he has 34 years of experience in rescue operation, insisted that there was nothing to suggest that the accident occurred as a result of explosion. He said, “All the bodies recovered were not dismembered or burnt. There were also no scattered bricks. The floors and pillars were also not shattered; rather the six-storey collapsed on top of each other. The collapsed building did not depict any sign of explosion or implosion.”