While some were there to find their friends and loved ones who either are members of the church or workers in the vineyard of God, others have come to show solidarity to the man of God.
As some foreigners were seen waiving their country’s flags in solidarity for the founder of the church, Pastor TB Joshua, a middle aged woman made a desperate dash from one corner to another in search of her son trapped in the collapsed hostel building on Wednesday.
She mumbled just a few words in prayer: ‘God forbid he was there’, as the tractor pulled out some debris laced with human clothes. Fears, tension was in the air as wailing and shout of ‘Jesus’ took over the area. Security operatives had a hectic time controlling the surging crowd just as rescue work continue day and night.
However, the last may not have been heard about the
Figures of bodies recovered from the debris of the building. Before press time, Vanguard gathered that over 30 Church workers who were cleaners and house keepers were still trapped in the building. These workers were said to have gone into the building early on Friday morning to carry out their daily duties and since have not been found.
We gathered that some friends and relatives of the hostel workers who saw them before the incidence had called their telephones lines but without success.
Some of them were seen with their hands folded to their chest even as they combated the stench that oozed out of the rubble.
A by-stander perceived to be member of the church said over 50 young men and women work in the building daily, adding that no fewer than 30 of them had gone inside the building for their usual house keeping before the collapse that Friday. He added that none of them has been rescued.
“We have tried to call the telephones of some of them but their lines were not going through. I think they are still trapped in the debris,” he said.
When asked to say more on the workers, he said the atmosphere was tensed and could not say anything further. “ Most of these people you are seeing here are relatives and friends of the church workers searching for their loved ones.
“Some of them went into the building to work on that faithful day but have not returned since then and their dead bodies have not been seen, so, talking to you would be difficult for now. It is possible that they are alive.”
As at the Wednesday, the death toll had risen to 80 with the recovery of additional 17 victims comprising of 12 women and five men, bringing the total number of survivors at 131. Since rescue workers have not gone to the last level of excavation, more bodies could still be recovered.
As the caterpillars excavated the debris, oozing stench rent the air, lending credence to the assumption that more victims are still trapped under the rubble. During the excavation Wednesday, our reporters saw clothes and other personal effects belonging to the victims in the debris.
The collapsed building
Vanguard gathered that the hostel which was basically renovated to accommodate more members have the capacity to accommodate 400 people. We also gathered that no fewer than 200 people mainly foreigners would have been trapped in the rubble.
Further investigation revealed that registration processes for accommodation in the building were done online and the payment made annually. Informed sources disclosed that after registration, assessment of the individual would be done for security purpose before approval is given. Tenancy is reviewed annually, source said.
It is no longer news that the collapsed building was a two-floor building before more floors were added, a development many said could have caused the collapse.
TB Joshua’s four Wise men
Close source and member of the church disclosed that Pastor TB Joshua’s only duty was to preach in the church while issues about miracles are carried out with the aid of those he called the four-wise men. The identity of these four wise men are not known but source indicated that two of them are foreigners. According to him, they are: Wise man Racine Bousso, Senegal, Wiseman Daniel Emelandu, Nigeria, Wise man Christopher Orji, Nigeria and Wiseman Harry, Greece.There duties are to lay hands on people, carry out some healing with the anointing of Pastor Joshua himself. He stated that the Pastor delegated the duties after founding these men worthy of carrying out miracles.
Thousands of miracle-seeking people flock to the Synagogue of All Nations every week. They come from home and abroad. Many visit for healing and vision. Pastors also throng the place, seeking power of anointing and healing.
Accommodation business
The tragedy may have opened another revelation to the accommodation problem in the area and how people eke out living from their properties. We gathered that apart from the Church controlled hostels, landlords have turned their houses and apartments into chalets for rents to miracle seekers who come from afar to the church.
We gathered that worshipers seeking accommodation outside the church-controlled hostel pay as much as N4000 to N3000 per night while those who cannot afford the money sleep on the floor of the Segun Irefin street, outside the church building.
We gathered that the business booms for landlords as many of them were said to have abandoned their other source of livelihood to rent out apartments and rooms to worshipers. Some of them who spoke to us confirmed that it was a thriving business in the area.
“The collapsed building has not affected the business. Many people still come seeking accommodation”
One house agent who simply identified herself as Mama Chichi, said: “the business has never recorded any low patronage. The building collapse did not affect any business in this area. We have been going about our normal businesses. People still believe in the man of God and they still come for their services,”. “ It did not even affect the prices of the accommodation. The least house we have here goes for N3000 for a night.”
Again, on Opeloyeru Street, in the neighborhood, there are two guest houses named Villa Bound Pilgrims Hostels situated at the beginning and at the end. They were all quiet and seemed deserted without guests. It was gathered that some people who came from far and near to worship at Synagogue checked into the hostels. It was dull as many residents were unwilling to talk.
Other businesses
A food vendor said that they recorded a lot of sales last Sunday as the church did not offer their worshipers the normal meal they used to serve during Sunday services because of the tragedy. “We sold very well that day. Most people that came for worship came to us for meal because, the building that was affected, part of it was used for their canteen. When we saw what happened, we quickly prepared enough food knowing that the church will not be able to serve members because of what happened.
Neighbours react
A man lamented that some enemies of Pastor Joshua were at work. Although, I am not a member of the church I watch the man on television and see what he does. He is the messiah of our time. I am a member of Charismatic Renewal Church, but I believe in this man and I love his Ministry. He has been empowering people and changed the lives of the less privileged including the poor, widows, physically challenged among others.
At Segun Irefin Street, another resident expressed shock, accusing the devil of being responsible for the disaster. “Satan does not like the good work the church is doing here. So they want to spoil and damage it. But God won’t allow evil to triumph over good. I was not in the church last Sunday. I’ve come to see the place. But the police prevented me from entering the site. Satan is a liar,” the young woman concluded.
An engineer who resides in the area said: “I believe it was a structural failure. When you overload a structure with additional ones, it will sink. The base gave way and the building collapsed. If there was a plane which hovered above, that should be left to the aviation authority to find out.”
It was in reaction of Joshua’s claim that a terror attack might have been responsible for the collapse, saying that a plane had hovered around the complex before the collapse.
By Vanguard’s Emmanuel Edukugho, Ishola Balogun, Ebun Sessou, Anozie Egole and Aderonke Adeyeri
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