TB Joshua’s Followers Attacked, Blocked Rescuers At Collapsed Building, Inquest Tells

Following investigations, an inquest was on
Wednesday, November 5, 2014, told that the followers
of the Senior Prophet of the Synagogue Church of All
Nations, Prophet Temitope B. Joshua, had launched
an attack on emergency service workers which made
it impossible for them to access the site of the
collapsed building which occurred at the premises of
the church on Friday, September 12, 2014.
The head of the Lagos State Emergency Management
Agency, Femi Oke-Osanyintolu said, "The first three
days (after the collapse) were marred by the so-called
church sympathisers and the crowd. By the time we
attained momentum after 96 hours a lot of things had
gone bad."
About 116 reportedly died after the tragic experience
out of which 84 were South Africa compatriots.
Joshua failed to show up at the court to give evidence
despite summons by the coroner.
According to Vanguard reports, Osanyintolu told the
hearing that it was only after the intervention of the
Lagos State governor that rescue workers could get to
the site of the disaster on the sprawling SCOAN
compound.
He further recalled that "no effective crowd control"
measures were taken after the incident which made
the situation get out of hand leading to the death of
more people than expected.
He also said, "The crowd impeded our operation. They
did not allow our personnel and equipment to come
in. They frustrated the emergency workers at the
scene."
"Instead of allowing trained rescue workers with
specialist equipment to search for survivors, only
church members and volunteers were allowed to pick
through the rubble."
Continuing, Osanyintolu, who is a medical doctor said,
"There were restrictions of emergency responders to
the scene of the collapse. On the first day, we were
assaulted, especially my humble self."
"We were not allowed to do documentation.
Photographs of the incident were not allowed.
"We asked for the manifest to know the number and
identities of the people in the building, we were not
given. We asked for the building plan, we were not
given."
Meanwhile,during the hearing in the court, expert
witnesses faulted the claims of an aircraft being
responsible for an attack as acclaimed by the church
management.
The LASEMA boss further debunked the theory: "On
observation, bodies were not mutilated. They were
not disjointed… the bodies were not burned."
During the hearing also, it was revealed in that the
expansion project going on at the collapsed building
were done without due permission from the
necessary authorities.

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