•Building collapse not result of explosion –Fire Service
By Temidayo Akinsuyi / Snr. Correspondent, Lagos
The coroner investigating the collapse of a guest house at the
Synagogue Church of All Nations on September 12, on Friday, ordered
that the founder and General Overseer of the church, Prophet Temitope
Joshua, should appear before it on November 5, 2014.
He is to appear alongside the contractor handling the six-storey building before its collapse on September 12.
Over 115 people died in the incident while several others sustained various degrees of injuries.
The coroner, Magistrate Oyetade Komolafe, stated that the appearance
of the church’s founder was important to the assignment of the court.
Arguments by the church’s counsel, Jude Nnadi (SAN), that the
appearance of the pastor would not be necessary because he was not an
eyewitness, did not dissuade the magistrate as he insisted that Joshua
would have to appear.
The magistrate, who said he had heard that Joshua had addressed the
press at various times, said the pastor must also appear before the
court to give evidence.
“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,” Komolafe said.
In his testimony, a Chief Operational Officer, Lagos State Fire
Service, Musiliu Adebayo, told the court that his observation revealed
that the building did not collapse as a result of an explosion.
Adebayo, who said he had 34 years of experience in rescue operation,
insisted that there was nothing to suggest that the accident occurred as
a result of an explosion.
According to him, “All the bodies recovered were whole and not
dismembered or burnt. Also there were no scattered bricks. The floors
and pillars were also not shattered rather the building had collapsed on
top of each other. The collapsed building did not depict any sign of
explosion or implosion.”
The coroner’s sitting was adjourned till Tuesday 28 for further hearing
