In yet another snub, the founder of the Synagogue Church of All Nations (SCOAN), Prophet T.B Joshua for the second time yesterday refused to appear before the Coroner’s Inquest investigating the circumstances which led to the collapsed of a six-storey guesthouse within his church premises on September 12.

Instead, the Prophet has asked a Lagos State High Court in Ikeja to stop the proceedings of the coroner's inquest.
The inquest was inaugurated by the Lagos State Government under the state Coroner’s System Law No.7 of 2007 to investigate the cause and circumstances resulting in the death of 166 people following the collapse of the six-storey guesthouse and to forward its findings and recommendations to the appropriate authorities.
Counsel to Joshua, Mr. Olalekan Ojo yesterday, informed the coroner’s inquest presided over by Chief Magistrate Oyetade Komolafe that the Registered Trustees of the church and the founder, Prophet T.B. Joshua had filed a prohibition suit before Justice Lateefa Okunnu of an Ikeja High Court against the coroner.

Joined as respondent in the suit are the Coroner's Court of Lagos State and Magistrate Oyetade Komolafe.
Komolafe had at the last sitting on Thursday warned all expected witnesses including Joshua and the collapsed building contractor not to dare the court by not appearing or risked being arrested.
According to Ojo, the suit brought pursuant to Order 40 Rule 5 of the High Court of Lagos State (Civil Procedure Rules) 2012 and signed by one O.M Abimbola is praying Justice Okunnu for an order of prohibition, against the Coroner's Court of Lagos State and the presiding magistrate Komolafe from exceeding their jurisdiction in the conduct of coroner's inquest into the death of unknown persons in the collapsed building within the premises of SCOAN on September 12, 2014

The suit marked ID/188MJR/2014 is also seeking “An order of Certiorari to quash the proceedings of the 1st and 2nd respondents in the conduct of the coroner's inquest into the death of unknown persons in the Synagogue tragedy September 12, 2014 in suit number CR/AL/01/2014 concerning matters, issues and circumstances other than what directly caused the death of the victims and the manner of their death for having been conducted without or in excess of the statutory jurisdiction of the 1st and 2nd respondents.
"My Lord, we have applied for a judicial review of the proceedings of this honourable court so far. We may be right, we may be wrong, but what we are saying is that this coroner court has been extending and it is still extending its inquisitions into areas outside the statutory jurisdiction of the coroner court. That is our complaint, my Lord.

"And what we are saying is, if the High Court agrees with us to set aside such portions of the proceedings that it adjudges to have been conducted in excess of jurisdiction, it should prohibit the coroner from further acting in excess of its jurisdiction.
"The strict scope of the coroner's inquest is ascertaining the cause and the manner of death and it would be in the best interest of all of us if the High Court agrees with us.

"My Lord, we are also saying that thus court should suspend further proceedings, pending the time when my Lord, honourable Justice Lateefa Okunnu will give her ruling. My Lord has fixed the matter for December 3 and with utmost respect to my Lord, she is an eminent judge that could even deliver the ruling on that day.
"My Lord, our prayer is that you should accord the High Court respect and the dignity, so that your Lordship will not been seen to have taken or to intend to take any further action that might amount to prejudising or preempting the High Court."
In the suit, the church also wants the court to declare that the decision of the coroner to summon the applicants to give evidence at a time when no materials were placed before the coroner against the applicants is a breach of the applicants’ right to fair hearing.
"A declaration that the coroner who relied on his personal knowledge of the facts of the case is not a proper person to preside at the inquest into the death of people at the collapsed building of Synagogue Church of All Nations.
"A declaration that the coroner who relied on extraneous matters not borne out of the records to reach his conclusion that the 2nd applicant is a necessary witness when in fact is not, is in breach of the rules of natural justice and fair hearing guaranteed by the 1999 constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

"An order prohibiting the coroner from conducting further inquest/proceedings relating to the construction of the collapsed building which facts are clearly outside the scope of a coroner's inquest.
Responding to Ojo’s information on the suit, Komolafe said he had not been served with any court process, adding that he was not obliged to suspend his sittings till the High Court's decision came.
Komolafe said was only restraining himself, in the spirit of fairness, to issue a bench warrant against Joshua and urged the clergyman to abide by the laws of the land.

Let me give this to you, so that you don't create the impression to the world that anybody is after anybody, because, in fact, you saw me writing, it is the bench warrant for that man. But you see, let me give him a long rope to pull. The court cannot be taken for granted and nobody, I repeat, nobody can do that, not even him. I just want you to advise him accordingly.
"I don't even need to listen to this application, just to tell you that nobody is being prosecuted or being put on trial. The point I want to make is that, that fellow, whoever, he is, he is not above the laws of the land and he dare not try it. Take that message back to him, that not on earth should he try to rubbish the court and never on earth should he try to use his hand to touch the sword of the state, if he does, he would have himself to blame.
"What I am saying is that Joshua should respect himself and not drag the law of the land into the mud."
The coroner adjourned till December 3.

http://www.thisdaylive.com/articles/synagogue-tragedy-again-t-b-joshua-snubs-coroners-inquest/194732/

Em erm....is tb joshua now bigger than the law?? even when jesus came he approached all his persecutors and defended himself...what's this man's problem??

Only in Nigeria.

Why can't they leave TBJ alone? Invite the people in charge of the construction to "justify" themselves, not the pastor. He is a pastor, not a structural engineer? Or did the Magistrate, Mr Komolafe believe that it was TB Joshua who was in charge of the construction? Come on ...

I personally think the Coroner is going beyond his boundaries in order to embarrass TB Joshua, maybe because he didn't like his way of ministering or his way of praying for people... I don't know. All I know is that people invited to witness are people that either saw the incident or were directly involved in the construction of the building..

when will this witch hunt end so that the families of the victims can have peace?

Achutebe:
Why can't they leave TBJ alone? Invite the people in charge of the construction to "justify" themselves, not the pastor. He is a pastor, not a structural engineer? Or did the Magistrate, Mr Komolafe believe that it was TB Joshua who was in charge of the construction? Come on ...

I personally think the Coroner is going beyond his boundaries in order to embarrass TB Joshua, maybe because he didn't like his way of ministering or his way of praying for people... I don't know. All I know is that people invited to witness are people that either saw the incident or were directly involved in the construction of the building..

when will this witch hunt end so that the families of the victims can have peace?

why should he be left alone? so who should be held accountable

For how long will they continue this?

Raiders:
why should he be left alone? so who should be held accountable

maybe the people, engineers and companies that actually built the house? Was it TB Joshua that built the house? Was he the head architect in charge of the construction on site?

If you read the reports on what was actually said in court and not the biased stories by propagating gutter journalists, you will soon realize that you are beating the gun in coming to a conclusion on who is to be blamed.

So far, the court has never said that TB Joshua is to be blamed. On what ground? That the building is on his compound? He is not an engineer for God's sake. They should take the engineers, architects and construction companies that built the house to court...

On a final note, do you think anyone in this world can say no to a summon to court? Obviously it is only media that is carrying an angled story for people to once again see TB Joshua in a bad light.

Nothing is new under the sun... smh

Achutebe:


maybe the people, engineers and companies that actually built the house? Was it TB Joshua that built the house? Was he the head architect in charge of the construction on site?

If you read the reports on what was actually said in court and not the biased stories by propagating gutter journalists, you will soon realize that you are beating the gun in coming to a conclusion on who is to be blamed.

So far, the court has never said that TB Joshua is to be blamed. On what ground? That the building is on his compound? He is not an engineer for God's sake. They should take the engineers, architects and construction companies that built the house to court...

On a final note, do you think anyone in this world can say no to a summon to court? Obviously it is only media that is carrying an angled story for people to once again see TB Joshua in a bad light.

Nothing is new under the sun... smh

the church leaders and the engineers should be held responsible. If this had happened in a western or Asian country, all the church leaders and the engineers would have been in jail now. In China, they usually hang the building owners and engineers when a building collapse and people get killed. A building owner is also responsible for the safety of his building. How would you feel if your family members was killed in the building?