Update: Three people fear dead in collapsed building in Benin

As Lagos State is trying to cope with the collapse of a poplar church, Synagogue of all Nations, owned by Prophet TB Joshua, another church building in Uzama street, off Oliha Quarters, in Egor Local Government of Edo State collapsed on Friday, killing about three persons.

According to the information gathered, the management of a popular penticostal church hired some youths in the area to carry out demolition exercise in order to create more space in the church compound.


One of the victims (Credits: Alexander Okere)

One of the survivor who craved anonymity said the owner of the building hired about nine labourers for N3,000 each per day, adding that his friends were trying to break the pillar before the building collapsed.

He revealed that some survivors were taken to a nearby hospital. He explained that the house was also an accommodation for some of the church members who, after the incident fled the area for the fear of being beaten by the youths in the area.

He said “The owner of Christ Chosen Church Deliverance Centre told us to demolish the building because they wanted more space in the compound. But some of us went out to eat because we were hungry.

“As we were eating, many people rushed to where we were coming from. We thought it was a fire outbreak. But when we got there, we discovered that the building has collapsed.

“We were nine in number but four of my colleagues were in the building before it collapsed. Two were brought out alive with injuries. One died and two others are still inside.


A vehicle belonging to the church set ablaze by angry youths (Credits: Alexander Okere)

“We have already demolished the upper part of the building and wanted to break the pillars of the lower parts, so that the building would fall. It was when one of us started work that the building fell,” he said.

Osazu, a teenager who happened to be a relative of one of the victims who didn’t make it said he was informed that the site where his brother, Orosa, was working had collapsed.

He said “It was when I came back to rest after work that my brother came to tell me that the building where my brother went to collapsed. I don’t know if he is still alive because people are just telling me what happened,”

A resident attributed the cause of the incident to the owner saying “How much is a crane to demolish the building? When I was passing, I wondered why a big church like this cannot hire a crane for N65,000 per day to do a neat job.

Out of anger, the youth in the area took to the street, destroyed and set ablaze the church vehicle and auditorium.
Responding to the incident, the Edo State Commissioner of Police, Folusho Adebanjo confirmed the incident, adding that one of the five person working at the site died.

He said “One is unfortunately dead. There are rumours that we still have like two people there.

“Of course, there is absolute calm there now.

Some policemen were also seen trying to prevent a breakdown of law and order.



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