NIGERIA-PREACHER/COURT NO SHOW Nigerian pastor fails to attend guesthouse collapse inquest

Record ID: 236950

  • Title: NIGERIA-PREACHER/COURT NO SHOW Nigerian pastor fails to attend guesthouse collapse inquest
  • Date: 5th November 2014
  • Summary: LAGOS, NIGERIA (NOVEMBER 5, 2014) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF PEOPLE WALKING INTO COURT VARIOUS OF PEOPLE IN THE COURTROOM FILE ON DESK READING (English): "CORONER (SCOAN - SYNAGOGUE CHURCH OF ALL NATIONS)" VARIOUS OF PEOPLE STANDING OUTSIDE COURT (SOUNDBITE) (English) UNION LEADER OF CITIZENS' ORGANISATION, AFOLABI OLAWOLE, SAYING: "Because of the publicity that all this has att
  • Embargoed: 20th November 2014 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Nigeria
  • Country: Nigeria
  • Topics: General
  • Reuters ID: LVACXFKXD4OPZNY87T671GX6TVF8
  • Story Text: Popular Nigerian pastor T.B. Joshua failed to appear in court on Wednesday (November 5) to testify at the inquest into the collapse of a church guest-house in September that killed 115 people.
    Eighty-four South African citizens were among those killed in the collapse, which started a diplomatic row between South Africa and Nigeria.
    Nigeria launched a court inquest in October after South African officials accused Nigerian authorities of not doing enough to investigate the accident. The collapse took place at the Lagos church compound of one of Nigeria's most influential evangelical Christian preachers.
    Joshua, who was scheduled to testify, was nowhere to be seen, but his fans gathered outside the court in solidarity with the pastor.
    Afolabi Olawole, union leader of the Citizens' Organisation, said he was not surprised that T.B. Joshua failed to appear in court.
    "Because of the publicity that all this has attracted, somebody like that has to be very mindful of coming into the public because it is a kind of...it seems to us like a kind of intimidation or a deliberate attempt to undermine all of his philanthropic activities," he said.
    Defence counsel Olalekan Ojo said the Nigerian preacher had yet to be served with a witness summons.
    "Prophet T.B. Joshua had not been served the witness summon issued by the court, no service on him and he is not aware that he has been summoned to appear," he said.
    The lawyer added that Joshua would appear after due diligence had been followed.
    "After he has been served, he will appear. And he has nothing against anybody, neither is he afraid of coming, neither does he disrespect the court. No, he does not and he cannot but we are saying that those who are supposed to effect service should serve properly. You cannot start condemning somebody for not coming when you have not served him, when you have not done the needful, when you have not done what you're supposed to do under the law, simple," the lawyer said.
    The presiding judge gave a 72-hour notice for the preacher to be served with a summons to appear in court.
    The Lagos State Federal High Court ?has in the past weeks? heard evidence from several parties, including Nigeria's National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), a pathologist representing the Lagos State Chief Medical Director, a representative of the South African government and the church itself.
    Nigeria has a history of building collapses caused by shoddy construction practices, with 130 incidents reported in Lagos alone between 2007 to 2012.
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