Tragedy struck early Friday morning in Lagos as a canoe carrying mostly members of Christian Prayers Assembly (CPA), capsized during a heavy downpour, claiming no less than 13 lives.

The incident which occurred about 7.20 a.m threw the entire neighbourhood of Ajao into a mourning mood just as it rekindled talks on the activities of CPA members whose controversial leaders, Emeka Ezeugo, alias Reverend King, is awaiting his fate in prison following a death sentence passed on him last year for murder.

According to one of the three lucky survivors, Mr. Wilson Akoma, a staff of Springbank, Apapa branch, there were a total of 16 passengers in the canoe, among them, a nursing mother, who until the incident was a popular bread seller.

Describing his survival as a miracle, Akoma who spoke to Saturday Sun in his Akeem Shittu Street residence, said that early that morning, he and about three other passengers had converged on the boarding point of a canoe service that conveyed passengers from one side of the Oke-Afa canal to the other. All the passengers in the ill-fated canoe were commuting from the Ajao-Estate end of the canal to the Isolo end, which was just a shouting distance.

The 47-year-old indigene of Abia State recalled that “the first set of passengers were beckoning on the canoe man to come over from the Isolo end when a group of CPA members who were returning from a vigil trooped out. The canoe man was late in coming because he needed first to scoop out water caused by the downpour from his canoe.”

The banker who was on his way to work said he was the second passenger to board the canoe when it finally arrived. As result of the rain, the wave was very stormy.
“Some of us expressed worry over the current because the water was flowing very fast. But the canoe-man assured us he was not unaware of the danger, adding that that was the reason he came himself to ferry us across instead of assigning the task to one of his sons.”

Acting the typical Lagos transporter, Wilson said the canoe-man hiked the fare from N20 to N40.” We were a total of 16 passengers. The canoe-man was arguing with one of the CPA members over change.”
As Saturday Sun observed at the accident scene, the distance of the journey was about 100 metres. According to the survivor, it was less than two minutes into the journey when the passengers realized that instead of carrying them forward, the canoe was moving backwards.

As a result of the fierce current. “The canoe-man struggled to paddle forward but the more he tried, the more the current pushed us back. When the man became exhausted, he attempted to steady the canoe on one spot by driving the paddle hard into the water. But the canal was so deep as the paddle failed to hit the bottom of the canal or anchor. Before we knew what was happening, the canoe-man had fallen inside the water.”

Without anybody to control it, the canoe and its passengers were left at the mercy of the turbulent water. Wilson said that what followed could only be imagined”. A few of us started shouting Jesus! Jesus! But the CPA people were screaming: Daddy G.O.! Daddy G.O, in apparent reference to their General Overseer, Reverend King.”

The survivor said he was hoping the current would carry the canoe towards some shrubs but with the panic that followed, a male passenger jumped off and before anyone knew it, the canoe had capsized. Three passengers swam to safety. So did the canoe-man. Wilson said that though he could swim, he almost drowned because some of the drowning passengers held him by the waist and legs.

When Saturday Sun arrived the scene, seven men of the Civil Defence Corps were seen watching helplessly. There was no rescue equipment to work with and because of the strong current, the 13 victims, now feared dead, were believed to have been swept far away from the accident scene.
At the CPA Church, bearded members of the religious house were seen clustering outside the gate. Asked to comment on the mishap, one of them barked that nothing bad had happened to any of their members.

Speaking yesterday evening, the Police Public Relation Officer (PPRO) of the Lagos Command, Mr. Bode Ojajuni confirmed the incident, saying that majority of the victims were members of CPA.
A resident of Ajao, Mr. Edwin Nwosu, told Saturday Sun that the ill-fated canoe was overloaded, given that it normally took eight to ten passengers.
He regretted that six years after many Nigerians perished in the same canal during the Ikeja bomb blast, government was yet to build the bridge it promised. He described the canoe mishap as an avoidable tragedy.

I guess daddy g o who could not free himself from the charges of murder, has no powers to save his confused worshippers. This is a lesson to Nigerians who worship fake pastors. Only God has the powers to save us.

Bankole01:

I guess daddy g o who could not free himself from the charges of murder, has no powers to save his confused worshippers. This is a lesson to Nigerians who worship fake pastors. Only God has the powers to save us.

AMEN

Hello Bankole01,

True talk but it is not only with pastors we have the same thing happening in politics and religion as a whole.

The views of some members of this forum on religion is nothing different from what those believing Rev King are doing.

Some are completely and irredeeemably brainwashed to the extent that the US and Israel are seen as countries that cannot do any wrong regardless of the obvious atrocities being committed by them.

I think it's about time the government should do something about this church thing. So many men of God are misleading the people. they are using that opportunity to do all sort of things in the name of God.
the Bible said my people die because of lack of knowledge. (The Bible) If people find time to study the word of God, i personally believe they can never be mislead.

How sad but also very funny! daddy GO indeed

may be this will teach other people that God is not sleeping but, only giving us time. A word is enough for the wise

_kk:

Tragedy struck early Friday morning in Lagos as a canoe carrying mostly members of Christian Prayers Assembly (CPA), capsized during a heavy downpour, claiming no less than 13 lives.

A few of us started shouting Jesus! Jesus! But the CPA people were screaming: Daddy G.O.! Daddy G.O, in apparent reference to their General Overseer, Reverend King.”

Daddy G.O. obviously answered. He sent them ahead to prepare the way for him to hell heaven ^wherever

Soo, soo sad. A mind indeed is a terrible thing to waste.

John the baptist said repent for the kingdom of God is at hand. They will all receive there share in the place God prepared for them all. there will be no escape for them. be warned, i mean warn them to STOP

I pray for forgiveness of sin for all this people and may their soul rest in perfect peace. we are all sinners in Gods eye. so be careful how you castigate this people.

Bolarge:

Daddy G.O. obviously answered. He sent them ahead to prepare the way for him to hell heaven ^wherever

Soo, soo sad. A mind indeed is a terrible thing to waste.

I am choking with laughter, my colleagues think i'm crazy.

It is not the first time somebody will be sent to prepare a way, have you forgotten JOHN

So, when will they execute his death sentence abi ojoro don enter the matter?

So, when will they execute his death sentence abi ojoro don enter the matter?

you harsh ooo,

PeeDaVinci:

you harsh ooo,

Leave am like that.

As for Rev. King the Bible says there is no peace for the wicked. Well i don't blame him for the Bible declared that people like him will come at the last day. We should all open our eyes and read the Bible well and pray for understanding.

tnaidaR:

So, when will they execute his death sentence abi ojoro don enter the matter?

u be really wicked girl ooo
u cant wait to hear the news abi?

i dey feel u jare!!!

Na wa o! well shit happens

why are they still holding onto the guy. He has been sentenced so let justice take place

They should bitch-slap the idiot a little longer before making sure he can no longer add to the gene pool.

They should hand him as quick as possible so as to teach those that are playing with Gods name. we have so many of them

A lesson to us all. You don't have to wait till the Last Day before Judgment comes. Judgment Day begins while you are still on earth. So be mindful of what you do, and who you make your pastor or God.

Am sorry to differ, but this tragedy is not for Rev King. it is for the whole country, Lagosians especially and oke afa people in particular. One of the survivors was going to work. Just think for a minute. it could have been YOU!

When will our people stop being greedy and learn to respect life rather than risk it unnecessarily? Rev King, am sure is not bothered who dies. his wife and children were not affected, his chuech building was not pulled down, so what do you think he cares?

accident on our water ways is becoming one too many. Affected authorities should rise up to stem it. May God comfort the families affected in the accident.

There are so many pretenders doing the work of God this days. The Bible said fake prophet will arise in the last day, am not surprise. What am afraid for is the people that attend such church, the don't care as long as the get there miracles. Either it's from God or the devil. It's very sad because we don't have the time to go through the word of God so that we can know the truth. Even the church is not saying the truth again, we should seek the kingdom of God first and every other things that we need will be provided, that is what the word of God said.