Synagogue collapse: Coroner indicts T.B. Joshua’s Church, orders prosecution of building contractors

A coroner inquest instituted by the Lagos State government to investigate the collapse of a guest house owned by Synagogue Church, has indicted the church for negligence, NAN reports.

The guest house collapsed in September 2014, killing 114 people, many of them South Africans, who traveled to Nigeria for the church’s service in Lagos. The inquiry sat for months and set July 8 for its ruling. In his decision Wednesday, the judge ordered the prosecution of the contractors who constructed the collapsed building. (NAN)

Huge 52nd birthday bash announced for TB Joshua in South Africa

A huge birthday celebration is set to be held in South Africa on Friday 12th June as Prophet TB Joshua turns 52. An announcement posted on Joshua’s official Facebook page revealed that award-winning US Gospel Artist Vashawn Mitchell would be among those performing at the event.

The Nigerian cleric’s popularity in Southern Africa has shown no signs of waning, despite the tragic building collapse that claimed the lives of 84 South Africans in his church last year.

 Indeed, family members of those who lost their lives and survivors of the incident are among those organising the celebration for Joshua, alongside ‘The SCOAN Family in Southern Africa’.

Joshua has uncannily not appeared in public since his crusade in Mexico last month. It was announced on his Christian network Emmanuel TV yesterday that the cleric had arrived back in Nigeria over a week ago but was “waiting for God's command on what to do next”.

Speculations are rife that Joshua may soon be leaving Nigerian shores on a more permanent basis, fuelled further by the message yesterday which stipulated no birthday celebration would be held within Nigeria.

Written by freelance Nigerian journalist, Ihechukwu Njoku