A Lagos coroner on Tuesday said he would within two weeks give his verdict into the causes of last year’s deadly building collapse at the compound of the powerful Nigerian pastor TB Joshua.
Coroner Oyetade Komolafe has been probing the September 12 accident that killed 116 people, mostly South Africans, but the inquiry was stalled by a three-week judicial staff strike.
Komolafe said the court had been able to make up for “the lost ground” caused by the strike.
“Within the next two weeks, all witnesses in this matter would have given their evidence after which counsels to the parties will give their final addresses and the court will give its verdict,” Komolafe told a hearing in Lagos.
He said the court will visit the Synagogue Church of All Nations compound for further inspection before issuing its findings.
Joshua, a popular evangelical preacher and televangelist known to his followers as “The Prophet”, has attributed the collapse to sabotage.
The pastor, who counts presidents and powerful politicians from across Africa among his flock, has claimed that the collapse was caused by a mysterious plane seen “hovering” over the building at the time.
But Lagos officials and expert witnesses have ruled out the theory of aerial sabotage or an explosion.
The hearing has been told instead that the guesthouse did not have planning permission and that a number of other buildings at the church were structurally unsound.
The self-styled miracle worker has repeatedly refused to appear before the inquest to give evidence with his lawyers challenging the coroner’s power to summon him.
At Tuesday’s hearing, the church’s chief security officer, Sunday Okojie disputed a claim by emergency officials that they were denied access to the site for three days following the collapse.
Okojie insisted rescue workers were given free access to the site but did not appear to be working urgently to save lives.
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If anyone normal would do this, one could never walk away from the Law orders. Here is the so called prophet and he using money to get away with his personal crime he did regarding the collapsed building.
He never sat with the Holy Spirit about it, because if he had, he would have known that the Holy Spirit would have said: Do not build this Hostel building over here. It will end up in disaster and many will die and many will suffer. Also the Holy Spirit would have said, it will cost a lot of money to get this corrected. This money that you receive from them is supposed to be used for missionary work and preaching the Gospel. Money is not a means to pay off victims that is not yours. As the Lord says: Haggai 2:8 The silver is mine, and the gold is mine, saith the LORD of hosts.
Also the Lord says: 1 Timothy 6:10 For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.
That is exactly what has been happening. Also the Lord says: Proverbs 10:22 The blessing of the LORD, it maketh rich, and he addeth no sorrow with it.
This man is abusing the Scripture, abusing his position in society, abusing the monies that are given to him to make him a rockstar, then evading the Law, using Lawyers to divert the cause of Justice and does not want to be scrutinized by the same Law of the Land that speaks volumes against his atrocities. He knows this, that is why he is hiding, walking away, using himself as a dictator inside his venture, speaking fear upon those who fall for his lies, his deception, his 419 scams, the fake deliverances, the denial of those that were connected to him and had loyalty and still adulate him. Put him in all the human sources of fame to deter those that want to stick out a hand to him to arrest him to bring him to Court.
This is only in Nigeria as well what has been happening, where bloodshed is all over the country where they have sown the blood of many victims to soak the ground and made it to a curse and byword. This because of position, money and selfish agenda and having no consciousness whatsoever. Guided by their own moral and immoral compass, making a mockery inside the world of Justice and Truth.