A judge on Tuesday adjourned the criminal negligence trial of popular Nigerian preacher TB Joshua over a fatal building collapse at his Lagos megachurch.
Joshua, church trustees and two engineers are accused of criminal negligence and involuntary manslaughter after the 2014 collapse of a guesthouse at the Synagogue Church of All Nations (SCOAN) that left 116 people dead, most of them South Africans.
Lagos High Court Judge Lateef Lawal-Akapo said the case would resume “on April 8 for arguments” after a fresh challenge was brought by the defendants to halt the trial.
TB Joshua’s trial has had several adjournments since last year due to numerous legal challenges.
The criminal case follows a coroner’s ruling in July 2015 that blamed the church and two engineers for the building tragedy.
The inquest verdict attributed the collapse of the six-storey guesthouse to structural failures and said it did not have planning permission.
Joshua, dubbed “The Prophet” and “Man of God” by his followers, maintains a mysterious “hovering” aircraft that was seen over the building before the tragedy, or a controlled explosion, was to blame.
He never appeared to give evidence at the inquest and has repeatedly failed to come to court since the trial began last year, drawing criticism from Nigerians that the country’s legal system is not strong enough to hold a rich and powerful man accountable.
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Votre article est indigne du nom que votre journal porte. Tu dis que le coroner a blamé l'église et 2 ingénieurs (pas le prophete). Tu est malhonnete de ne pas accepter qu'un avion a survolé 3 ou 4 fois le batiment (ou la zone) avant que le batiment ne s'écroule. Tu est également malhonnete de ne pas bien regarder les vidéos diffusés pour te rendre compte qu'il y a explosion. Tu est encore malhonnete de ne pas reconnaitre le génie du seul grand homme qui peut te produire la vidéo de son immeuble s'écroulant. Je recherche les vidéos des immeubles qui s'écroulent !
@ Domingo,
You are full of rubbish. It has nothing to do with the aeroplane. Absolutely nothing.
TB Joshua need to go testify with his fabrications that he has put up.
Think, think, why would they want to stall a trial ? Because TB Joshua never got the command from God to build this hostel especially when it is illegal and without building permit. How can you be even standing in front of a congregation. While everyone knows it was illegal. That's lying. Deceiving. Pretending you are man of God but is disobedient to God. This is very very bad. God knew that it was going to collapse and cause these people to die. Yet the false prophet did not hear for over 11 years. Who wants to support someone like that ? That is dishonesty. He was wrong to allow it. Very very wrong.
No man of God is allowed to do this. No normal person is allowed to do this either.
Illegal is illegal. It's a sin. That is what he needs to accept as what he did as well the staff, the engineers, the architects, the builders.
ILLEGAL IS ILLEGAL and it is wrong and it resulted into 116 people losing their lives. Because of his and his staff personal choices.
If there is anyone dishonest it is TB Joshua and his staff. He holds off because he uses the loopholes in the system and the legal system to stop interrogating him and his staff. And because there is something that just is not right about him.
And this judge is not right either.
Leviticus 19:5 Ye shall do no unrighteousness in judgment: thou shalt not respect the person of the poor, nor honour the person of the mighty: but in righteousness shalt thou judge thy neighbour.
And this judge is giving privilege to the rich and famous and not to the victims by wasting time, finances and righteous judgment. But no matter what, God will Judge TB Joshua, this unrighteous judge and all that are involved in this case. And it even can come later in life one of the days. You shall reap what you have sown. So no worry about injustice. It will come one day. Sooner or later.
My brother, watch the videos ; watch them repeatedly ; what is killing you is hatred, jealousy. When God is involve, law of man is put in standby. Are you a lawyer ? Even the lawyer don't know the truth ; because the truth today is not the truth tomorrow. For God the truth is the truth from the beginning to the end.
you're not in the process of growing up in the things of God, it's a shame.