The Presidency wants full details of the casualties of last week’s collapsed building at the Synagogue Church of All Nations (SCOAN), Ikotun, Lagos.
It has asked the church to make available the actual number of those who died in the incident, their names and their nationalities to enable it take the next appropriate step.
The church said yesterday that it was still compiling the data although the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) said the death toll now stands at 86.
One hundred and thirty one people were rescued.
This was based on figures submitted by the various agencies involved in the rescue operation, NEMA’s Director of Search and Rescue, Air Commodore Charles Otegbade, said yesterday.
Otegbade, emerging from a meeting with the General Overseer of the church, Prophet Temitope Balogun Joshua, told reporters that forensic investigation was on to determine the identities of the victims.
He said: “Because the wing of the building that collapsed was allocated to Southern Africa, majority of the people that passed on there are most likely South Africans.
“You know you cannot bring out a victim and determine his nationality just by looking. There is need for us to carryout forensic investigation to determine the true identity and nationalities of the victims
“We have experts from Nigeria and South Africa identifying the victims, and when it is fully done, the world will be briefed and everyone will know the nationalities of the people involved.
“It is not strange to hear that some of the people rescued may die in the hospital. But we do not want to be brandishing different figures. Once there is any need to review the figures, we will be told at the end of the forensic investigation.”
Continuing, he said: ”I am here on the directive of Mr President which was passed to me through my director general. The President considered it very important to come and commiserate with the man of God and members of the church and extend a hand of fellowship and assistance to them.
“Considering the fact that many of the victims were foreigners, the incident has gone beyond the the church alone; it has become an international affair.
“The President has given his word that the families of the victims would not be abandoned.”
He however declined comments on the cause of the collapse, saying: “We have not come here to apportion blame or judge anybody. Neither have we come to do any verification.
“The primary work of NEMA is basically humanitarian. Our job is to bring succour to anyone in distress in any part of the country. We are here to coordinate the rescue operations.”
Prophet Joshua has alleged that the collapse of the building could have been caused by an aircraft that flew low over the premises shortly before last week’s incident.
Source: The Nation
