₦airaland Forum

Prophet TB Joshua has declared that Hillary Clinton will win the American presidential election in a ‘narrow victory' against her Republican rival Donald Trump.

With the attention of the world surrounding the contentious American elections slated for Tuesday November 8th 2016, the Nigerian cleric prophesied that the female candidate would win the coveted position.

Speaking to a packed congregation at The Synagogue, Church Of All Nations (SCOAN) on Sunday 6th November 2016, a service broadcast live to millions more on the popular Christian channel Emmanuel TV, Joshua said he saw the outcome in a ‘vision' 10 days ago.

"Ten days ago, I saw the new President of America with a narrow win," the cleric, who is renowned for his controversial prophetic abilities, began.

He described several ensuing challenges that would be faced by the new President, including "attempts to possibly pass a vote of no confidence" amidst difficulties in the passing of bills. "The boat of the new President will be rocked," he described.

Despite his initial parabolic language, Joshua later clarified that he saw Hillary Clinton claim a hard-fought victory. "In order not to keep you in suspense, what I frankly saw is a woman," he stated, in a message subsequently posted to his official Facebook page followed by over 2.5 million people.

Joshua, however, lauded Clinton's outspoken opponent Donald Trump. "I want to salute the opposition – a very strong man and courageous. He is my friend because he is very, very courageous. Challenges don't mean anything to him. The more they abuse him, the more he comes out to talk and smile."

With several predictions circulating online which forecast a positive outcome for Trump, Joshua clarified that such visions may have been seen at an earlier date. "The men of God that said opposite – maybe they saw it 15 days ago," he explained.

Joshua went further to reveal that two states would be instrumental in Clinton's impending victory at the polls.

It was the cleric's first appearance in his church following a four-month absence interspersed with crusades in South Korea and Peru.

"Challenges determine where you are spiritually," he told the faithful earlier in a sermon. "How you react under pressure is how the real you reacts."

He is on record to have predicted major world events including the death of iconic pop legend Michael Jackson, ISIS-inspired terror incidents in Paris and the mysterious disappearance of Malaysian Airlines Flight MH370.

SOURCE: http://bulawayo24.com/index-id-news-sc-religion-byo-99147.html

A group of Nigerian deportees from Libya have revealed harrowing details of their thwarted efforts to illegally travel to Europe. Fifty-two of the 154 who were deported from the North African country last Monday shared their sordid experiences publicly at The Synagogue, Church Of All Nations (SCOAN) in Lagos State on Sunday 16th October where they had come to seek ‘refuge’.

According to Tracy Stephen, an Edo-State indigene, the treatment they endured in the course of their journey was nothing short of inhumane.

“My mother borrowed N280,000 to finance my travels,” the young hairdresser explained, surrounded by a bunch of other disheveled deportees, mainly female teenagers. “I deposited the money to the man that said he would take us abroad, although I never saw his face. He said I would be in Italy in two weeks.”

Tracy travelled from Edo State to Kano before being “packed like sardines” into the back of a Hilux van. “We were 48 in the van which was supposed to take only 8,” she recounted.

The subsequent three-day journey through the Sahara Desert was hellish. “We didn’t sleep nor eat or drink water,” she said, describing how dead bodies lay strewn across the desert floor, evidence that countless others attempting the same journey had woefully met their end.

Arriving in Sabha, Libya, Tracy reminisced on her first drink of water in more than 72 hours of the harsh sun. “The water was dirty but we didn’t have any choice. We drunk from the well before we discovered there was a dead body inside."

Hidden under a makeshift ‘watermelon truck’, the journey continued until the group reached Tripoli where they were encamped for months along with hundreds of other illegal immigrants awaiting the dangerous sea crossing to Sicily. “We ate only once a day – scraps of food which only filled the palm of your hand.” Vulnerable girls were raped regularly at gun-point by their traffickers.

When her turn finally arrived, Tracy was horded onto a flimsy rubber dinghy. A boat meant for less than 40 swelled until 140 had boarded – young children and babies amidst the adults. “There was no life-jacket and none of us could swim,” she said.

Reaching Italian waters with no rescue boat in sight, the captain decided to retrace his steps back towards Libya when disaster struck. “Fuel ran out and we were in the middle of nowhere. No food. No water. Just the sea.”

One of the immigrants on board soon died. “We were afraid to throw the body out of the boat because it would attract sharks,” she said. After three days adrift, the make-shift boat was eventually sighted by the Libyan coast-guard.

“They arrested us all and sent us to prison for three months,” Tracy divulged. Through the facilitation of the International Organisation for Migration (IOM), she was deported back to Nigeria last week.

“I wished I had not left my home and country,” she tearfully confessed. “These are the same clothes I have been wearing for the last seven months.”

Tracy’s experiences echoed countless more who recounted their tales including Osama Osifo, a 300-level University of Benin student, who said that he was kidnapped in Libya.

After several torture sessions with his older brother on the phone listening to the sound of his screams, a ransom of N250,000 was paid to secure his release. Whilst incarcerated, his elderly father died “because of the shock”.

“I thought Nigeria was hell when I was leaving this place,” Osama stated after he was eventually deported following several months of suffering in Libyan prison. “I now see it as Heaven.”

“At Lagos airport, the IOM provided two buses – one to take us to our State and one to take us to Synagogue,” the albino stated. He opted to come to the church.

Precious Chioma sold all her possessions and travelled with her two young boys to Libya. However, she soon resorted to drinking her own urine and feeding it to her sons to survive the harsh conditions she met after being captured under the ‘watermelon truck’.

At the church service, N10,000,000 ($33,000USD) was given out to the group on behalf of ‘Emmanuel TV Partners’, with each of the deportees receiving N150,000 ($500USD) alongside two bags of rice to “start their lives afresh”.

Pastor TB Joshua used the opportunity to advise youth. “It is where God wants you to make it that you will make it, not where you want to make it or where you admire,” he said.

He also advised people not to be deceived by the seemingly ‘flashy lifestyles’ of many who will be returning to their homeland during the festive season. "A decorated slave is not only a slave but a big fool. Be careful – appearance out there is deceptive. Warn your children!”

SOURCE: Linda Ikeji - http://www.lindaikejisblog.com/2016/10/tb-joshua-splashes-n10m-33000-on.html

SYNAGOGUE COLLAPSE NOT DUE TO FOUNDATION FAILURE – Lagos State Witness
TB-Joshua
On Friday 3rd June 2016, the trial of the engineers that handled the construction of the collapsed guest house belonging to The Synagogue, Church of All Nations (SCOAN) resumed at Lagos High Court, Ikeja.

A witness from the Lagos State Government, Engineer Victor Oyenuga presented a report of the panel set up by the Counsel of Registered Engineers of Nigeria (COREN) and the Nigerian Building and Roads Research Institute (NIBRRI) to investigate the possible cause of the controversial collapse in September 2014.

While being cross-examined by the Lagos State Director of Public Prosecution, Idowu Alakija, Oyenuga, who is the former President of the Institution of Structural Engineers of Nigeria, revealed that the only fault found in the building’s structure was on ‘beam seven’ which he claimed was not adequate enough to carry the weight of the building.

He however told the court that the purported inadequacy of the said beam was not significant enough to be blamed for the collapse of the building, observing that “only God can determine the actual cause”.

Testifying further, Engineer Oyenuga overruled the possibility of foundational failure being the cause of the collapse. He observed that independent investigations revealed that the collapsed building had a loading capacity of 330 kN/m2 whereas 800 is the maximum capacity for a structure of that size.

He concluded by admitting that the foundation did not exceed the loading capacity even when the initial report from COREN and NBBRI estimated the capacity at 550 kN/m2. This revelation contradicts one of the findings of the coroner’s court that stated that foundational failure was one of the causes of the building’s collapse.

It would be recalled that the ongoing trial was one of the recommendations of the coroner’s court, which stated that structural errors were behind the collapse. The outcome was immediately dismissed by The SCOAN as being biased and one-sided, an assertion reiterated by several human rights groups and concerned observers, who have since called on the government to review the report of the coroner.

Counsel to the defendants, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN) thereafter urged the court to adjourn for further hearing. Justice Lawal Akapo, who was commended by court observers for his calm and impartial disposition, adjourned further hearing to Monday, June 20, 2016.
Nosa Osazuwa was present during court proceedings. He wrote in from Lagos, Nigeria

On Tuesday 19th April 2016, the Lagos High Court arraigned the contractors who handled the collapsed building at The Synagogue, Church Of All Nations (SCOAN), despite their counsel decrying the unexpectedly rushed nature of the decision.

Counsel to the contractors, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), E.L Akpofure (SAN), Titilayo Akinlawon (SAN) and Olalekan Ojo told Justice Lawal Akapo of the Lagos High Court, Ikeja Division that as the business of the day was the ruling in the applications filed by the second and fifth defendants, it would be inappropriate and unjust to arraign the defendants who had not come to the court for the purpose of arraignment.

One of the applications was praying for adjournment of the proceedings at the High Court pending the hearing of the application for stay of proceedings at the Court of Appeal. The second was praying for the charges against the second defendant to be quashed on the grounds that no evidence had been submitted to the court linking him to the charges.

After quickly dismissing the applications filed by counsel to the contractors, Justice Akapo heeded the prayer of the Lagos State Director of Public Prosecution (DPP), Mrs Idowu Alakija, to immediately arraign the contractors.


The arraignment proceeded despite all pleas by counsel to the defendants, who argued the immediacy of the court’s actions amounted to injustice, coupled with the fact that E.L Akpofure had informed the court of his mother’s recent demise.

Expressing their surprise and dismay, they contended that the court should have addressed the issue of the ruling and nothing more.

Alakija, however, argued that because it was a criminal case, it required expeditious handling, leading to the registrar of the court reading out the 111-count charge to the accused who pleaded not guilty.

The Lagos DPP thereafter prayed the court to remand the defendants in custody pending trial or the determination of their bail application.

Lateef Fagbemi urged the DPP to expedite action in reacting to the bail application so that it could be determined quickly.

After listening to both sides, Justice Akapo ruled that the contractors be remanded in prison custody and adjourned the hearing of the bail applications by the fourth and fifth defendants to Tuesday 26th April 2016.


Nosa Osazuwa was present during court proceedings. He wrote in from Lagos, Nigeria

I respect Ghana; they can recognise a true prophet of God. As soon as T.B. Joshua gave this prophecy the whole country immediately acknowledged it. But we Nigeria, who is part of the same prophecy, doesn’t even seem to care. Hopefully we will come to realise the treasure God has sent us before it’s too late.

[size=16pt]Malian 'terrorist' Confirms T.B. Joshua’s Prophecy About Planned Attack On Ghana[/size]

https://www.newzimbabwe.com/news/images/news_btb-joshua-001-250.jpg https://cdn.ghanaweb.com/imagelib/pics/13725865.295.jpg

Ghana’s national security sources have confirmed that a possible terrorist attack on the country is real, following the confessions of a Malian terrorist who is being interrogated as the brain behind the Grand Bassam attacks in Cote D’Ivoire. The suspect is being investigated by the Ivorian security agencies for terrorism.

In a security alert sent to all the country’s security agencies dated April 9, 2016, a copy of which is available to Citi News, it said, “Intelligence gathered by the National Security Council (NSCS), indicates a possible terrorist attack on the country is real.”

According to the report, Ghana and Togo are the next targets after the attacks in Burkina Faso and Cote d’Ivoire.

The choice of Ghana according to the report is to take away the perception that only francophone countries are the target. The Ivorian security agencies investigating the attack on the Grand Bassam, gathered that the terrorists “mode of entry into countries with their explosives and weapons is through concealment.” “They enter through approved and unapproved entry points.

In the Ivorian attacks they reportedly entered from Mali using Niger register 4×4 vehicle. They reportedly concealed their weapons and grenade in the vehicles compartment for spare tyres, padded with cushions and bubbled wraps to keep them stable and prevent noise.”

Following the real threat of the attack based on the information from Cote D’Ivoire; Ghana’s National Security has directed all controls, especially the Northern Borders with Burkina Faso to be extra vigilant. The statement asked all security agencies to treat the instructions as important.

TB Joshua prays for Ghana, Nigeria over looming terror attacks The security alert statement dated April 9th was followed by a prophecy by the founder of the Synagogue Church of All Nations, Prophet T.B Joshua, predicting a possible terrorist attack on Ghana and Nigeria.

The renowned prophet, who gave the prophecy during a Sunday service on April 10 broadcast live on his Emmanuel TV channel, thus asked his congregation to pray for the two nations in a bid to forestall such plans by the enemy.

Terrorists targeting West Africa, Ghana at risk TB Joshua’s prophesy comes on the back of a similar terror alert issued by the National Security Council in March, which said countries within the West African sub-region are at risk.

The Council said based on intelligence from other agencies, it has every reason to believe that countries including Ghana is at risk.

“The National Security Council on the basis of briefings by the intelligence agencies and partners has determined that there is a credible terrorists’ threat to all countries in the sub-region.” Already there have been attacks in Mali, Cote D’Ivoire and Burkina Faso.

SOURCE: http://www.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/NewsArchive/Malian-terrorist-confirms-planned-attack-on-Ghana-430628

drss:
me i no be engineer but i know say vibration or votex shedding from helicopter or aeroplane fit cause building collapse.
scoan building collaspe no be accident. na act of terror attack. same terror attack wey dem use demolish world trade center for newyork.

The evidence speaks for itself -
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mAccLLUNq2s

As for me, I am sincerely surprised that this case is still dragging till now. For so long, due to jealousy and envy, the Lagos State Government, other Nigerian pastors and other smug individuals had planned on how to attack T.B. Joshua. This incident was the perfect opportunity to capitalise and they want the case to continue on for as long as it can. It gives them some kind of false satisfaction which actually makes them even more empty and bitter. One day, they may realise, (hopefully when it is not too late) that they are fighting God and not man. The repercussions of their actions will manifest sooner or later, if not physically, then spiritually.

Come on, any clear thinking, objective individual will see by the CCTV footage that this building did not collapse as a result of a structural defect or mere accident. It was clearly a vicious, premeditated, explosive attack.

By now, the Nigerian government should even be praising TB Joshua on how he handled the incident rather than continuing to attempt to drag his name in the mud. I’m sorry for all those who continue in this blind aggression.

It's only when you lose what you have that you begin to know its value.

None of these guys were singing TB Joshua's praises to the press when they were lining their pockets with money from the church's popularity. Perhaps it will only be if he leaves Nigeria permanently that the government will realise what they have been missing all these years...

Operators of tourism enterprises in Ikotun, a Lagos suburb have sent a Save-Our-Soul appeal to the Federal and Lagos State governments over the current plight of the Synagogue Church of All Nations and its leader, Prophet T.B. Joshua.

According to them, as a result of the impasse, they and their dependents are facing serious hardship. They said they are finding it difficult feeding and taking care of their families. Among those that spoke were members of the hotel owners, cab drivers, food vendors, hair stylists, commercial motorcycle operators and others.

One of the hotel owners in Ikotun, Chief Jerry Omorodion, who spoke on the issue, said it was unfortunate the situation has degenerated. He said: “There was an accident and many lives were lost. This is unfortunate. The state government is doing the right thing by setting up a commission of enquiry to look into the cause of the unfortunate disaster. No responsible government would see such a thing happen and fold its arms without finding the cause and proffering solution on how to avoid such in future.

“Our discomfort, however, is that the issue is not being treated as accident in a tourist destination that welcomes thousands, if not millions of tourists, both local and international, annually. It is important that the state government should be mindful of the role the church plays in the spiritual lives of people. Millions of people flock here for solution to their physical ailments and spiritual craving. The state government, I am sure, are aware of the role the church plays in the life of the people of Ikotun. We depend on these pilgrims and religious tourists for our livelihood.

“We saw what happened in Saudi Arabia where close to 2,000 persons lost their lives. There have been tragedies in tourist destinations like Kenya and Paris. But they moved forward. The government should do its job but the destination and what brings people there should not be made victims and they should remember that we and our family members are facing difficult times. We have no other means of livelihood outside the ancillary services we offer to pilgrims visiting Ikotun.

“There have been accidents in many tourist destinations in the past. In these climes, knowing the importance of tourism and such destinations in the lives of these host communities, while investigating and getting to the root of the accidents, the governments did not create the impression they want to destroy these destinations. Look, by destroying a destination, you are destroying millions of lives that depend on it for survival.

Look at me, I am a retired civil servant, I am finding it difficult, as the schools have just re-opened, to pay the school fess of my children. My hotel has been empty. I invested in the hotel, as a fall back, after my retirement. It is mostly on weekends that we have a little bit of improvement in our occupancy. Many of my colleagues that had initially converted their houses to hotels are changing them back to residential areas due to lack of patronage.”

He pointed to about three storey buildings around the vicinity: “There are hotels that were springing up before the unfortunate incident. Since it happened, work has stopped in the hotels. Most importantly, in this period Nigeria is trying to diversify the economy; you can’t kill a destination because of an accident. Tell me, in the whole of Africa, which other single destination is capable of attracting such large and diverse number of tourists from all over the world like the Synagogue Church of All Nation? Nigeria should be proud of this and it should not be destroyed.”

“Look I doubt whether there is any individual alive that in Nigeria, indeed Africa that can attract people to a particular country as Prophet TB Joshua does. There is no church or religious event in the country that has the capacity to attract tourists like the Synagogue. Some may not like the founder while others do, this is understandable. However, the incontrovertible fact remains that he is the biggest tourist attraction to Nigeria. If anybody has a contrary opinion, let the person say it. I think he has done much for this country and does not, in my opinion, deserve what he is getting.”

In the last 20 years, Ikotun, a Lagos suburb has seen a tremendous growth both in its economy and as a tourist destination. From being an obscure suburb, Ikotun was transformed into a renowned global tourist destination for Christian pilgrims who throng to the place from all over the world. Annually, about two million local and inbound tourists visit the place. The tourists from all over the world come to worship at the Synagogue Church of All Nations. The pull to Ikotun is also to have an encounter through Prophet Temitope Balogun Joshua (Prophet T.B. Joshua). Due to this influx of tourists, many residents of the area quickly latched on to the business opportunity the huge influx of tourists to the area creates.

While the church has accommodation facilities for inbound tourists who came under organised tour, with the huge influx of religious tourists, hotels and guests houses started springing up around the Ikotun. Most of these hotels are not luxury or branded hotels, but they offer decent accommodation for tourists who were not on leisure trip but to find both physical and spiritual fulfillment for their ailments.

Some owners of residential houses also quickly converted their houses to guest houses to accommodate visitors to the church. Fast food joints and food vendors were also not left out in this economic boom to the area. With the large number of hotels and guests houses that sprang up, there was a need regulate the services offered. The operators came together to form an association known as the Pilgrim Hotels Owners Association.

This new found source of livelihood was suddenly faced with a difficult time when on September 12, 2014, a hostel facility owned by the church came crashing down. About 117 pilgrims, mostly from South Africa, lost their lives in the tragedy. There was outrage and anger over the death and also the status of the collapsed building came into question. Since the incident, the church and the Lagos State government have been in court over the incident. While the court case drag, it has negatively affected activities in and around Ikotun as the large number of local and foreign tourists has drastically gone down. Most of the ancillary services that depend on activities around the church for livelihood are seriously being affected.

SOURCE: http://www.thisdaylive.com/index.php/2016/03/04/tourism-expert-calls-for-restoration-of-tourism-ministry/

On Friday 4th March 2016, the trial of the trustees of The Synagogue Church of all Nations (SCOAN) and the two engineers that handled the collapsed building met with yet another delay.

The arraignment will have to wait pending the determination of fresh applications filed by lawyers to the second, third and fifth defendants by Justice Lawal Akapo of the Lagos State High Court, Ikeja Division.

Counsel representing Jadny Trust Limited (which appears as the second defendant), E.L. Akpofure, SAN, had filed an application seeking to quash the inclusion of his client in the case, arguing that there is no nexus between his client and the charges levelled against it.

On her own part, counsel to the third and fifth defendants (Engineers Oladele Ogundeji and Akinbola Fetiregun, respectively), Titilola Akinlawon, SAN, also filed an application seeking an indefinite adjournment pending the determination of the interlocutory appeal which has been entered at the Court of Appeal, Lagos.

Reacting to the development, Justice Akapo ordered that all the applications will be heard on March 22, 2016 after which a suitable date will be given for ruling on the matter.

It would be recalled that the Lagos State Government, had filed a 110-count charge of involuntary manslaughter against the second, third, fourth and fifth defendants after a coroner’s verdict had earlier recommended the prosecution of the contractors, claiming they were negligent and that the building collapsed due to structural failure.

It would also be recalled that Justice Kazeem Alogba of the Lagos State High Court, had on Wednesday March 2, 2016 quashed the coroner’s finding that the building collapsed due to structural failure, submitting that it is the duty of a civil court to so determine.

I was there. The media won't likely report it because it supports what the church has been saying from the onset. They only want sensational headlines which will indict SCOAN and find the engineers guilty.

SYNAGOGUE: CORONER CANNOT DETERMINE THAT COLLAPSE WAS DUE TO STRUCTURAL FAILURE – Justice Alogba

The coroner’s verdict which recommended the prosecution of the engineer and contractor that handled the collapsed Synagogue Church of All Nations (SCOAN) building has been faulted by Justice K.O. Alogba of the High Court of Lagos State, Ikeja Division.

While delivering his ruling on the application for judicial review filed by the lawyers to Registered Trustees of The Synagogue, Church of All Nations, Justice Alogba clearly stated that the coroner lacked the powers to recommend the prosecution of the contractors.

It would be recalled that in its verdict of July 8, 2015, the coroner had recommended the prosecution of the contractors that handled the construction of the collapsed building in persons of engineer Akinbola Fatiregun of Hardrock Construction and engineer Oladele Ogundeji.

Justice Alogba equally faulted the finding of the coroner which stated that the collapse of the building was due to structural failure. The judge submitted further that only a civil court could make such findings based on the facts presented before it.

Earlier, Justice Alogba had refused the prayer of the Lagos State Government urging the court to strike out the application for judicial review arguing that it was filed out of time.

Responding to the prayer of the Lagos State Government, Justice Alogba submitted that the application was in order as it was filed within the three months period stipulated by the rules of court.

As it stands, the recommendation by the coroner that the contractors should be prosecuted has been quashed by Justice K.O. Alogba of the High Court of Lagos State, Ikeja Division.

Nosa Osazuwa was present during the court proceedings

An Abuja-based politician has made more surprising revelations about the role allegedly played by ‘Prophet’ T.B. Joshua in the historic presidential elections held almost one year ago in Nigeria that saw a peaceful transition of power.

Speaking before a packed congregation at The Synagogue, Church Of All Nations (SCOAN) in Lagos, Ambassador Raphael Horsfall explained how Joshua revealed the outcome of the elections to him several weeks prior to the actual vote.

“He told me categorically that I should go and tell Mr President that it is too late, that nothing can be done, that we will lose the election but God will prevail on the peace of Nigeria,” said Horsfall, who served as a Special Assistant to Prof Rufai Alkali, the Political Advisor of Nigeria’s Former President, Goodluck Jonathan.

“That is why when we lost elections, I was at peace,” Horsfall continued, adding that his visit to The SCOAN came after a meeting with Jonathan and his wife Dame Patience where he suggested they sought ‘spiritual guidance’ from Joshua as the tense time of elections neared.

“Mr President was calm after hearing that word from Prophet T.B. Joshua. Everyone was telling him to annul the election, which he had the power to do, but nobody knew this is actually the reason why His Excellency conceded defeat to the opposition,” Horsfall, who said he is currently a UN ambassador and working with the presidency, continued.

The revelation from the outspoken politician corroborates Joshua’s controversial statement immediately after the election that he had warned Jonathan of his impending loss.

According to a report published in several newspapers, the cleric said ‘God’ spoke to him with a message for Mr. Jonathan that whatever the outcome of the election, his regime had come to an end and his concession of defeat would ‘save the lives of millions’.

When a presidential aide worshipped at his church, Joshua said he met him and personally relayed the revelation. “Soft landing – that is the language I sent to the president,” he told the congregation the Sunday following the historic elections which saw Muhammadu Buhari ascend to power.

Horsfall explained that his initial encounter with the controversial Nigerian cleric came in 2009 when he was part of a delegation from the Niger-Delta region who sought spiritual solution at The SCOAN to the growing menace of militancy.

“The guidance he gave to us, which we communicated to the then President, His Excellency Umaru Musa Yar-Adua, was what led to the Amnesty Program which Nigerians and the entire people of the region are enjoying presently,” Horsfall revealed.

He implored Nigeria’s current leadership to seek 'spiritual guidance' to address the growing economic challenges engulfing the nation.
"This is not time for religious sentiment, nor is it a time for ethnic sentiment,” Horsfall passionately counselled.

“This is a time to build Nigeria. In building a strong, united Nigeria – we need God. God has blessed us with a man that speaks to God and hears from Him directly. Why is it that our economy is crumbling and we are still folding our hands? Let us come to inquire of the Most High God what we should do.”

Horsfall was also quick to quash any insinuations that money was exchanged with Joshua by politicians during the election period. “Someone who tells you that nothing can be done – will he ask you to bring anything?”

SOURCE: Linda Ikeji - http://www.lindaikejisblog.com/2016/02/i-delivered-tb-joshuas-message-to.html

How come out of all the families that were affected by this tragic incident this one has gone to such lengths? I'm sure TB Joshua is taking good care of the families; I mean, he just donated 5N million to the man who's wife was shot by police last year. Look at this article: http://www.nigerianeye.com/2016/02/tb-joshua-donates-n5-million-to-man.html

On Monday 8th February 2016, Justice Lawal-Akapo of the Lagos High Court dismissed the application of The Synagogue, Church Of All Nations (SCOAN) engineers to forestall trial pending the outcome of an appeal they had earlier submitted.

This comes on the heels of the Lagos State government, through its Attorney General, admitting to committing a judicial slip by predicating its legal action against the engineers on the coroner’s verdict of 2015.

Fundamental issues raised in the judicial review by The SCOAN lawyers included a prayer seeking to determine whether or not the Magistrate Oyetade Komolafe-led coroner’s inquest was a creation of law.

It would be recalled that while delivering his verdict on the coroner’s inquest, Magistrate Oyetade Komolafe ruled that Alimosho Coroner’s District was a creation of law despite a careful review of the Lagos State Coroner’s system revealing no such district existed

The legal implications of this include all the recommendations of the controversial coroner amounting to a nullity in law.

Even though the Lagos State Government agreed through its Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr Adeniji Kazeem, to have committed a legal error, it has not deemed it fit to apologise or withdraw the case against the engineers.

“The ruling of Justice Alogba dismissing the application of the engineers amounts to an infringement on their rights to fair hearing,” a lawyer told newsmen outside the court premises.

Justice Akapo fixed February 18, 2016 for the continuation of the trial.

It would be recalled that The SCOAN has persistently maintained its stance that the collapse was as a result of sabotage while the Lagos State Government declared structural failure was behind the tragedy.

Nosa Osazuwa, a writer from Lagos, was present during the court hearing

People can call him what they want but four prophecies for 2016 from TB Joshua have already come to pass. I can't think of any other pastor who has matched that.

I read today how the head of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor, personally called to give his condolences over the unfortunate killings of to Sheikh El-Zakzaky's followers and family in Zaria by the Nigerian army. This was followed by a visit from CAN’s representatives to the Shi’ite leader in Katsina to express their sympathy and condemn the killings. A few months earlier, Oritsejafor commiserated with the Sultan of Sokoto and the leader of Nigerian Muslims, Sa’aid Abubakar lll, on the stampede tragedy during the Hajj in Mina, Saudi Arabia which led to well over 2,000 deaths.

There’s nothing improper in sending condolences to the Muslim community when tragedy strikes but it makes CAN’s disturbing silence over the Synagogue incident even louder. In September 2014, 115 Christians perished in the building collapse at The SCOAN yet CAN remained silent, sending neither a message of condolence to the church’s founder T.B. Joshua nor the families of those affected. Interestingly, the Sultan of Sokoto was actually among the first to send his condolences to The SCOAN and T.B. Joshua when this occurred...

Nigerian ‘Prophet’ T.B. Joshua’s prolonged public absence is not only raising concerns among his followers but severely damaging local business in the area where his church is situated.

The last time Joshua was seen in public was nearly three months ago at a ‘Miracle Crusade’ in Mexico City, allegedly attended by over 150,000 worshippers.

However, since his return to Nigeria, the cleric has uncharacteristically not appeared in any church service at The Synagogue, Church Of All Nations (SCOAN), all of which are broadcast live on Christian television channel ‘Emmanuel TV’.

On June 7th 2015, Joshua released a statement via Facebook, stating, “I came back from the revival trip last week Saturday, waiting for God’s command on what to do next. I can’t wait to join you.”

However, almost two months down the line, which has seen the controversial conclusion of a coroner’s inquest into the tragic building collapse of a guesthouse within his church last year, there’s been nothing but silence.

Last Sunday 26th July made it 12 consecutive weeks of absence.

It’s the first time in over 25 years of ministry that T.B. Joshua has missed a church service, barring foreign ministration and his arrest and 2 week incarceration by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) over charges of drug-dealing in 1996, which were later dropped.

A report by Nigeria’s Sunday Guardian newspaper chronicled the economic effects Joshua’s ‘disappearance’, coupled with the reduction in church services since the building collapse last year, has had on the local environment.

“If you come here on Sunday, you will find that a lot of shops are closed. There’s no more business,” a shop owner on the street close to the church lamented to The Guardian reporter, the welfare of most businesses in the area connected to the church’s fortunes.

“If you go there now (Ikotun-Egbe) and see the market, you will realise how bad things have become. If it were before, at this time, you would be seeing many people, foreigners, coming and going… Even those hotels - the workers are crying because people don’t come there again.”

“I think all you newsmen should come together and talk to this man and see what is happening,” a Nigerian cab operator angrily told the newspaper

“Programs have totally stopped. Foreigners don’t even see him on TV live. If they just see him on TV in the Sunday services, they will come. A lot of them bought their tickets. But there has been no prayer line,” he continued.

“We are just waiting and praying to God to make him restart the programs. The bitter fact is that there is nothing that can be done to stimulate business in this area. Without foreigners coming and injecting their resources, there is nothing, virtually nothing else to fall back on.”

A Muslim fabric trader in the region, Mrs Eyitayo, however, stated that the evolving events were ‘retribution’ for the selfish antics of local house owners who evicted many tenants in order to cash in the church’s popularity by converting their houses to hotels.

“The man (T.B. Joshua) is doing good but some people are doing bad because of the money they are seeing. When you drive tenants out, and they don’t have anywhere to go, some of them will cry to God. This thing that has happened will let them know that there is God.”

Eyitayo reminisced the time she regularly ordered new clothes from Dubai when visitors, especially foreigners, streamed en masse to the area to worship at the church.

“Two years ago, if you came here, you would think you were overseas because we traded in dollars,” she stated, bemoaning the regions recent drop in fortunes.

Engr. K. Y. Aminu, owner of Kaywy Lodge, a hotel along Segun-Irefin Street near The SCOAN, admitted that his customers were currently paying half-price.

“Business is zero,” he lamented. “I am partially closing down. The 10 rooms here are undergoing conversion,” he explained, adding that he was forced to reduce his staff due to inability to pay their wages.

According to The Guardian report, even international airlines are feeling the impact, as one of Nigeria’s foremost tourist destinations is passing through an uncannily ‘dry’ phase.

Joshua’s supporters believe the pastor is in a period of ‘fasting and prayer’ but the call for him to reappear is certainly heightening, evidenced by various petitions on the cleric’s Facebook page.

“I know that when he eventually steps out, it will be with an explosion of prophetic fire,” a shop owner near the church in Lagos optimistically told the Guardian reporter, hoping that Joshua’s eventual re-emergence will revive the waning local economy.

Additional report from Guardian Newspaper

SOURCE: http://www.nigerianeye.com/2015/07/where-is-tb-joshua.html

I know it's long but well worth a read... - today's Guardian (http://www.ngrguardiannews.com/2015/07/synagogue-church-vs-lagos-coroner-community-groans-as-prophet-lies-low/)

Synagogue Church vs Lagos Coroner Community Groans, As Prophet Lies Low

• Businesses Are Dying
• Landlords Now Know There Is God
• Int’l Airlines Feel Crunch

PROPHET T. B. Joshua atop a bicycle, riding leisurely, Prophet T. B. Joshua taking an evening walk outside the walls of his Synagogue Church of All Nations (SCOAN), Prophet T.B. Joshua stopping for a minute or two to watch some men chatting away at a game of draughts. These are by no means common sights. But one man has seen them all.

“Personally, I don’t come to the shop on Sundays,” said the shop owner. He was a tall man, possibly, in his early 50s. His dark-lit shop spotted an array of everything except nothing. At some points, he spoke like one who might have been born a stammerer, had some powerful cherub not hurriedly whisked his spirit away from the queue.

“I worship at The Synagogue,” the shop owner said proudly. “Many people open their shops on Sundays because of the money they hope to make. I want money and I want Christ also. But I have to choose one. That is why I don’t open my shop on Sunday.”

Reminded that Sunday is the best day to make money from the thousands of people, who attend the Church’s programmes, he explained: “If I come on Sunday and make money, it would mean leaving Christ. So, I prefer to take Christ. It is written that even God made the world in six days and then kept the seventh day aside for worship.”

The shop owner had no less than 30 years of the community’s history at his fingertips. “I was here when T. B. Joshua started,” he said. He could tell how the Church’s magnificent edifice grew through stages of constructions, reconstructions and modifications. He also knew a time when prayer and deliverance sessions were held close to the road “and little children would go there and be watching.” The decades should have been time enough for him to have met the prophet and experienced a miracle. “Many of the miracles we receive are not conspicuous,” he however said, “but when you go out and compare yourself with a lot of people, you will see that God has been doing a lot of things in your life.”

Then a wiry fellow walked in. The shop owner had been engrossed in a conversation with the reporter and had not attended to him in time. Consequently, he put up a fine drama of being angry. Following his cue, the shop owner, now repentant, handed him a plastic jar, as the man picked two objects from a packet.

“But should you…?”

“I know the question you want to ask,” the shop owner said, laughingly. “Should I have sold the sticks of cigarette to him? You see: this is something I have always sold, right from the beginning. And, secondly, the warning, ‘Smokers Are Liable To Die Young’, is written on it. If I don’t sell it to the man, another person would. If he doesn’t buy them from me, he would buy them from another person, and would still smoke.” He had barely finished speaking when a girl of about 18 walked into the shop. She looked like Nneka. Surprisingly, she was Yoruba. She pointed to an object and the shop owner gave it to her.

“What is that?” I asked Funmilola.

“Small Stout,” she replied.

“CAN my wife too get a shop around this area, so she can sell things and make some cool money?” I asked the shop owner.
“Ah! The big issue is whether she will ever find a place to rent in the first instance. Even accommodation here is hard to get.”
“You don’t mean it.”

“Yes. All the houses here have been turned into hotels.

“What of that storey building under construction there (pointing)? Is it also a hotel?”

“Na hotel! A lot of business is going on around the church. Almost all the landlords here gave quit notices to their tenants. They preferred to turn the rooms into lodges. The Man of God even warned them that it is not moral. He didn’t like the idea that people were suffering just because others wanted to make quick money from something he was involved in. Some of those shops at the front of the Church pay as much as N15,000 in rent per month, especially those who sell food.”

“But that is quite a lot. How are they able to cope?”

“Before, they were able to pay. But now, a lot of them cannot. If you come here on Sunday, you will find that a lot of shops are closed. There’s no more business.”

“Why?” I asked.
“People don’t come to the Church, like they used to do. You know, since the building collapse, everywhere became dry. After the collapse, they changed their system of service. They used to have service on Saturdays. But now, they don’t. He (T.B. Joshua) has even stopped coming out. He has not been attending the services. It’s the Wise Men that have been leading the sessions. So, for that reason, a lot of people don’t like to come.

“If you go there now (motioning in the direction of Segun Irefin Street) and see the market, you will realise how bad things have become. If it were before, at this time, you would be seeing many people, foreigners, coming and going. Do you see that car put up for sale (pointing)? It belongs to a cab operator. E no fit make am again, so he wants to dispose it. He used to up pick visitors from the airport. But now, they are no longer coming. There are many of them (cab operators) like that. Even those hotels…the workers are crying because people don’t come there again.”

The shop owner spoke with his mouth, no less than he did with his body, stressing every moment in the downturn narrative with every bone and muscle he could muster. Across the road, workmen were putting final touches to some three or four-storey apartment. Also, about a hundred metres away, another building was beginning to eye prospective lodgers. “How about these people that are still building hotels and lodges?” I asked.

“They didn’t know things would turn this way,” he answered. “Many of them had bought their plots before now. Many had entered into agreements with owners of the lands and they cannot collect their money back. My brother, business no move like before. Look at these (pointing to stacks of assorted drinks outside his shop). It was the foreigners that used to buy the plastic bottled drinks. The local people, here, na sachet water dem dey buy. But now the foreigners don’t come to buy anymore.”

“So, when do you think the Man of God will come out?” I asked.

“I don’t know,” answered the shop owner. “Some people say that he is fasting and praying. And that when he eventually steps out, it will be with an explosion of prophetic FIRE!!!

“NO! NO!” It was a young man tending some flowers. Having walked past the Church’s armed police post, I had lifted my phone, attempting a photo shoot of a masterly sculpture of Christ at the Last Supper. Denied, I walked on. Segun Irefin Street is no doubt beautiful, at least, that part asphalted and kept spotlessly clean by tens of the Church’s workforce. Away from that stretch, the remainder of the street is an ugly-looking dirt road. It was here three women walked up to me.

“Accommodation?” asked one of them, a short, fair, clean-looking woman, possibly in her mid-30s. And did she wait to find out if I actually wanted one? “We have N2,500, we have N2,000, we have N3,000, we have…”

“You are not saying I can’t get lodging for N500 per night, are you?” I asked.

“Ha! My Oga, I will not advice you to take the one for N500.”

The other two women, meanwhile, milled around with desperate and jealous eyes. (If you have no intention to lodge in any of the area’s hotels, you had better not walked down Segun Irefin Street with a traveling bag!) Their competitiveness was palpable. Quickly, I confessed I was on a mission that required no lodging. But it was too late. A motorcyclist had suddenly appeared from nowhere, vowing he would take me to my lodge for a token.

The conversation went on anyhow. “That N500 room na mat,” said the woman. The one with foam is N1,000. Then there is one for N35,000. Oga, if you sleep for that one, my commission ehn! E go reach like N5,000 for four days.”

“So, if you are able to attract about 10 customers, what would your commission be?” I asked.

There was no monetary disclosure, only: “Ha! Halleluiah! I go just dey shout Emmanuel! Emmanuel!!”

But I learnt that business has been down lately,” I chipped in.

“Business still dey,” she said.

At this moment, one of the other women added her voice. She seemed 40-something. And looked like someone who started a forced skin-whitening therapy but escaped, minutes before she could have become an Oyinbo woman. Bros, business no dey like before. We never see him comot,” referring to Prophet T. B. Joshua’s absence from public view.

“May be the man is making some special prayers,” I suggested.

The bleached woman brightened up at the idea. “When he go commot, like this, na FIRE!!!” And pointing to a three-storey hotel, added: “If he touch you ehn! Anointing go carry you throw-away for that upstairs!”

A WALK further down Segun Irefin Street should have led one to a bustling market. Last week Tuesday, however, the place was a mockery of its old self. Several shops were locked up. The ocean of human heads that used to flow around the area had reduced to a miserable trickle. Food sellers, especially, had all but disappeared.

Close to what looks like the most deluxe hotel in the area, a man with an Irish cap, swinging a car key, asked if I needed a cab. Dressed in jeans trousers with an orange top, he looked handsome and refined. But disquiet sat on his face. He had hoped that I would jump into his car, sit back like some foreign visitor to the Church, while he drove me to anywhere – for a fee, of course.

Once resident in Malaysia, he had returned to Nigeria, following some undisclosed reversal of fortune. “We had been using these cars privately,” he said. “But when you cannot make ends meet, you have to use them for business because you must eat. We cannot stay back and sleep in our houses. So, that is what we are doing for now. But unfortunately, the Church’s programmes have stopped. Now, we don’t know what to do again.”

Describing the present state of business in the area, the cab operator said: “Some hoteliers are closing their premises. The cheapest room in that hotel (pointing) was N10,000. Now, the rooms are being let out for N5,000, simply because lodgers are not coming. The management of the place has to pay the workers, maintain electricity generators and pay bills. If this thing continues, they will be forced to trim their workforce. Some small lodges have even closed. The landlords reclaimed their properties and sold off mattresses and other items.”

Recalling the days when business was superb, the operator said: “Formerly, he (T.B. Joshua) held special prayer sessions on Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays. At the time, cab drivers were usually overwhelmed. They went about with their bags, their clothes inside their cars. They didn’t have time to go to their families. They visited home only at weekends.”

“And don’t you think your wives would be happier to have you always at home now?” I asked.

“Your wife cannot be happy. If you were giving her N3,000 for a pot of soup before and now that pot of soup isn’t forthcoming, would she be happy? If you stay in the house, is she going to eat you? That was why when I saw you, I asked if you wanted to go somewhere, so that I could drop you and get some money. Before, I would have been getting calls from several places. My phone would have been ringing, with people calling, asking ‘Where are you? ’ At such times, I had the opportunity to even choose the highest bidder.”

At apparent loss over what to do, the operator appealed: “I think all you news people should come together and talk to this man and see what is happening. Before, the Man of God comes out on Sundays and conducts services. But now, he doesn’t come out again. Programmes have totally stopped. Foreigners don’t even see him on TV live. If they just see him on TV in the Sunday services, they will come. A lot of them bought their tickets. But there has been no prayer line.

“We are just waiting and praying to God to make him restart the programmes. The bitter fact is that there is nothing that can be done to stimulate business in this area. Without foreigners coming and injecting their resources, there is nothing, virtually nothing else to fall back on.

“If you people know whatever you can write, go ahead and write it, to make him (T.B. Joshua) feel pleased and come out, because many people are dying. Let him come out,” said the cab operator. Suddenly, he turned prophetic: “T.B. Joshua! Come Out! Foreigners are coming; they are dying. Please, start your prayer line! Two, three times, a week! Even once a month!”

WHEN The Guardian visited Kaywy Lodge, along Segun Irefin Street, last year, it had met Sufi Onilewura, a staff who manned the reception. “Many investors have swarmed on Ikotun. What people do now is buy houses, break them down and build up hotels. The Church has totally changed the landscape of this area. This place is now a big commercial environment,” the young man had explained.

The lodge had a touch of class; something Sufi said made guests keep coming back. Sufi had outlined an assortment of rooms that included: executive with A/C N5.500; executive, A/C, hot bath N6.600; executive, A/C, big bed N7.700; twin bed N8.800; big bed, hot bath N8.800. Proud owner of the place and BOT Chairman of Pilgrims Hostel Operators’ Association, Engr. K. Y. Aminu, had also taken the reporter on a tour of facilities at the lodge.

Once again, Engr. K. Y. Aminu, on Tuesday, took the reporter to see his lodge. But this time, it was to uncover the total collapse of what used to be a money-spinner. “Business is zero. I am partially closing down. The 10 rooms here (pointing at a section of the lodge) are undergoing conversion,” he said, as he began to show the reporter parts of the lodge-turned-regular accommodation. At some points, he generously explained how he would transform already marked sections into full living quarters, complete with kitchen. At others, he merely showed the level of re-structuring accomplished.

“This one (pointing), someone is coming for it. That one (pointing again) has already been taken.” Just then, one inquisitive boy of about seven looked out through the door of one of the now converted rooms. “Where is your daddy?” Aminu asked. “He has gone out,” answered the boy. “They moved in yesterday,” said Engr. Aminu.

“I have just one cleaner now,” said Aminu. “I had four before; three were asked to go. I can’t pay them. Initially, I didn’t want to lay them off. But I realised that I was using the money my children sent to me for upkeep to pay the staff. We were not making enough money, yet we had to pay electricity bills. Why should I be using feeding money sent by my children to pay salaries? I just felt I could not continue like that. But I am not breaking things up entirely; only modifying it, so that at any point in time, if I have to reuse the place for the former purpose, there would be no problem.”

POSSIBLY in her 50s, Mrs. Eyitayo must have been a very beautiful woman in her youth. Light-skinned and trim, she was fast asleep when I arrived her fabrics shop. The place looked well stocked to the eye, until she countered the thought.

“No! This shop used to be full of fabrics more than these. Business in this place is now dead. I used to order market from Dubai, US… But now, for a year and half, we have not ordered goods because of what has been happening here. Hotels used to be everywhere in this area. People even changed their homes to lodges.

“Two years ago, if you came here, you would think you were overseas because we traded in dollars. You can even see (pointing) the POS given to me by a bank. But now, people don’t come again. You will notice that you found me sleeping. If it were then, as you walked in, I would have asked you to lend a helping hand with sales. How many things can the people in this area buy? They can’t buy much. It’s the visitors…”

A Muslim, Mrs. Eyitayo said she prays for T. B. Joshua, and was of the view that the building collapse might have plunged the man into heartache. “The man…I don’t know whether he is thinking or… He doesn’t want to hold any services again except on Sundays, and even at that the Sunday sessions are only for Nigerians. That thing (building collapse) is too much. It is too much. We pray to God that God will help him, because we don’t know where the matter is going. I even heard that he was asked to produce the engineers.”

For the over 30 minutes during which we conversed, not even a fly breezed into the shop. The woman recalled days when the front of her shop was a beehive of activities. Times when: “All these place is garage. Transporters will call Ijebu, Sokoto, Maiduguri, Cotonou, even Ghana. They bring luxurious buses, different different cars. They would come here and say, ‘Madam, give me cloth,’ but now… My brother, the business is dead.”

According to Mrs. Eyitayo, she had had inkling that the bubble could someday burst, as such, when the going was good, she didn’t put all her eggs in one basket, but “saved some money in fixed deposit.”

She, however, expressed sadness at the fate of many youths who had cashed in on the boom; “young boys that work as agents and take people to their lodges.” She explained, “the little they do as agents in a few days often yields as much as N20,000 or N30,000 in commission, depending on how many people they are able to bring. But now, those boys are nowhere to be found. Some of them can even turn into armed robbers because their mouths have wide.”

The fair-skinned trader also thinks that some sort of retribution may have caught up with landlords in the area, who Shylock-ly give tenants a raw deal, forcing them out and consequently turning houses into lodges. “The man (T.B. Joshua) is doing good, but some people are doing bad because of the money they are seeing. When you drive tenants out, and they don’t have anywhere to go, some of them will cry to God, and God will then say, ‘Ehn ehn…!’ This thing that has happened, now, will let them know that there is God.”

Mrs. Eyitayo wants the Lagos State government to “tamper justice with mercy” following its decision to prosecute the Church and engineers over the collapsed building, “because people come from far and near to do business here, plenty people, graduates, plenty… Even the airport people know that this man is bringing a lot of money to the Federal Government. If they can make this place a tourism centre…Even Lagos State, they know how much they are making. The government is not paying salaries, and this…This Nigeria, e don tire me!”

BUT wait. Where is the man sef? Why has he withdrawn from public glare? And just what could be passing through his mind? “My brother, prophets are like that. Read your Bible very well. They always move as the Spirit leads them,” said one resident.

check out this article that came out in the Guardian this morning.
hotel and business owners are suffering in Ikotun now because tb joshua is no longer coming out for the services...

http://www.ngrguardiannews.com/2015/07/synagogue-church-vs-lagos-coroner-community-groans-as-prophet-lies-low/

Synagogue Church vs Lagos Coroner Community Groans, As Prophet Lies Low
By Femi Alabi Onikeku on July 26, 2015

A Section of The Synagogue Church of All Nations
A Section of The Synagogue Church of All Nations
• Businesses Are Dying
• Landlords Now Know There Is God
• Int’l Airlines Feel Crunch

PROPHET T. B. Joshua atop a bicycle, riding leisurely, Prophet T. B. Joshua taking an evening walk outside the walls of his Synagogue Church of All Nations (SCOAN), Prophet T.B. Joshua stopping for a minute or two to watch some men chatting away at a game of draughts. These are by no means common sights. But one man has seen them all.

“Personally, I don’t come to the shop on Sundays,” said the shop owner. He was a tall man, possibly, in his early 50s. His dark-lit shop spotted an array of everything except nothing. At some points, he spoke like one who might have been born a stammerer, had some powerful cherub not hurriedly whisked his spirit away from the queue.

“I worship at The Synagogue,” the shop owner said proudly. “Many people open their shops on Sundays because of the money they hope to make. I want money and I want Christ also. But I have to choose one. That is why I don’t open my shop on Sunday.”

Reminded that Sunday is the best day to make money from the thousands of people, who attend the Church’s programmes, he explained: “If I come on Sunday and make money, it would mean leaving Christ. So, I prefer to take Christ. It is written that even God made the world in six days and then kept the seventh day aside for worship.”

The shop owner had no less than 30 years of the community’s history at his fingertips. “I was here when T. B. Joshua started,” he said. He could tell how the Church’s magnificent edifice grew through stages of constructions, reconstructions and modifications. He also knew a time when prayer and deliverance sessions were held close to the road “and little children would go there and be watching.” The decades should have been time enough for him to have met the prophet and experienced a miracle. “Many of the miracles we receive are not conspicuous,” he however said, “but when you go out and compare yourself with a lot of people, you will see that God has been doing a lot of things in your life.”

Then a wiry fellow walked in. The shop owner had been engrossed in a conversation with the reporter and had not attended to him in time. Consequently, he put up a fine drama of being angry. Following his cue, the shop owner, now repentant, handed him a plastic jar, as the man picked two objects from a packet.

“But should you…?”

“I know the question you want to ask,” the shop owner said, laughingly. “Should I have sold the sticks of cigarette to him? You see: this is something I have always sold, right from the beginning. And, secondly, the warning, ‘Smokers Are Liable To Die Young’, is written on it. If I don’t sell it to the man, another person would. If he doesn’t buy them from me, he would buy them from another person, and would still smoke.” He had barely finished speaking when a girl of about 18 walked into the shop. She looked like Nneka. Surprisingly, she was Yoruba. She pointed to an object and the shop owner gave it to her.

“What is that?” I asked Funmilola.

“Small Stout,” she replied.

Read More - http://www.ngrguardiannews.com/2015/07/synagogue-church-vs-lagos-coroner-community-groans-as-prophet-lies-low/

The Nigerian Human Rights Community (NHRC), a coalition of 135 civil society groups across Nigeria, is the latest to add its voice to the controversy surrounding the verdict of a Lagos State Coroner's court against The Synagogue, Church Of All Nations (SCOAN), the church of popular preacher T.B. Joshua.

In a statement signed by Dr Anselm Oboku and published in the Nigerian Punch newspaper, the human rights groups observed with concern the growing trend of terrorist attacks against churches in Nigeria by Islamic insurgents Boko Haram.

They cited examples of the diffused bomb found in the Evangelical Church of West Africa (ECWA) in Jos and the attack against the Redeemed Christian Church Of God (RCCG) in Borno, incidents that both happened in close proximity within the month of July.

"After a thorough reflection on the spate of terrorist attacks in Nigeria, one is bound to conclude that concerted efforts should be made by international institutions, governments and corporate institutions to work with the Nigerian government to be able to stem the ugly trend," read the statement.

Coming to the tragic incident at The SCOAN last year which led to the deaths of 116, mostly foreign pilgrims, the NHRC insinuated that there were glaring 'flaws' in the verdict about the guesthouse collapse, stating its intention to appeal for international intervention.

"It is our opinion that the Lagos State government and the Federal government needs assistance for a thorough and dispassionate investigation into the incident. It is on this basis that we call on the United Nations (UN) Human Rights Commission to be involved in the probe of the collapsed building at The SCOAN."

According to the NHRC, the verdict "falls short of global expectations" and "raises serious questions about the capacity of the Nigerian government to deal scientifically with issues that demand a coroner's inquest".

The coalition of human rights group supported the contentious claim by the church that sabotage was behind the building's fatal fall.

"The NHRC believes that there are new evidences that link the collapse of the building to terrorism. By the threats earlier sent to the church and the way and manner the building collapsed, it suggests that the Islamic extremists may have attacked the building due to Nigeria's war against Boko Haram which found a new wave of support from South Africa."

The group noted that the attack came days after an arms deal struck between the Nigerian government and a South African private company, further adding that 80% of the victims were South Africans and the timing of the incident coincided with the busiest period for South African visitors to the church. "Was this a revenge attack by terrorists," Dr Oboku queried.

The statement then called for a more thorough investigation which involves 'international forensic experts' who would "examine the particles found at the site of the building if indeed there were materials related to an explosion".

According to the NHRC, if such actions are not taken, suspicion will remain that the verdict was "a preconceived notion, aimed at putting the church down, which may have beclouded critical examination of the facts before the court."

The statement comes in lieu of several other groups expressing their misgivings concerning the verdict given by Magistrate Oyetade Komolafe, including the West African Civil Rights Coalition (WACROC) and the O'odua Nationalist Coalition (ONAC).

On Thursday 16th July, Lagos State Governor Akinwunmi Ambode stated his intentions to prosecute The Synagogue, Church Of All Nations, not on the basis of 'criminal negligence' but on their failure to obtain government approval before constructing the guesthouse.

The SCOAN rejected the verdict, claiming it was 'one-sided' and 'unreasonable'. Intriguingly, the church's founder T.B. Joshua has not been seen in public for more than 2 months, ever since his 'Miracle Crusade' in Mexico City in May.

SOURCE: http://nigeriamasterweb.com/Masterweb/breakingnews-20715-human-rights-groups-fight-tb-joshua-building-verdict

On behalf of the members of the Nigerian Human Rights Community (NHRC), a coalition of 135 civil society groups spread across Nigeria, we rise up to add our voice to the campaigns for peace and religious freedom in our homeland. We observe with grave concern the recent discovery of a bomb in the premises of the Evangelical Church of West Africa (ECWA) in Jos. If the bomb had exploded, hundreds of Christians would have died, thereby compounding the security situation in Nigeria. In Borno State a few weeks ago, terrorist groups also attacked a branch of the Redeemed Christian Church Of God (RCCG), causing scores of deaths. In Monguno, Borno on June 16th this year, 63 people were killed when a terrorist group set up explosions. On Tuesday July 7th this year, the Sabon Gari Secretariat in Zaria, Kaduna was attacked with bombs and 40 people died.

Consequently, after a thorough reflection on the spate of terrorist attacks in Nigeria, one is bound to conclude that concerted efforts should be made by international institutions, governments and corporate institutions to work with the Nigerian government to be able to stem the ugly trend. We wish to observe some flaws in the case involving a building of The Synagogue, Church Of All Nations (SCOAN) in Lagos which collapsed, leading to the death of 80 South Africans, 22 Nigerians, 2 Beninoise and 2 Togolese. This is a very sad and pathetic incident.

Given the controversy surrounding the investigations of the collapse of the building, it is our opinion that the Lagos State government and the Federal government needs assistance for a thorough and dispassionate investigation into the incident. It is on this basis that we call on the United Nations (UN) Human Rights Commission to be involved in the probe of the collapsed building at The SCOAN. The recent verdict of the Lagos Magistrate Court seems, to us, not to reflect the deep reality on the ground. It falls short of global expectations. It undermines global standards and raises serious questions about the capacity of the Nigerian government to deal scientifically with issues that demand a coroner's inquest.

The findings failed in its bid to explore a critical area of the probe by failing to explore international forensic expertise. We are of the opinion that scientific evidence is crucial to establishing the veracity of claims and this often takes several months, given the lack of available modern laboratories in Nigeria which could easily lead to flawed conclusions. We use this medium to call on the United Nations Human Rights Commission to compel the Nigerian government to ensure full investigation into the matter, so as to establish what was the cause of the collapsed building beyond the claims that the building fell on its own.

The NHRC seeks full investigation by the United Nations. The full investigation will unearth the facts behind the explosion that saw the death of 116 people. The findings of the Lagos coroner's inquest, to us, fall short of public expectations. The NHRC believes that there are new evidences that link the collapse of the building to terrorism. By the threats earlier sent to the church and the way and manner the building collapsed, it suggests that the Islamic extremists may have attacked the building due to Nigeria's war against Boko Haram which found a new wave of support from South Africa.

The building was attacked a few days after a deal for the support of the fight against Boko Haram was struck with a private company in South Africa by the Nigerian government. The international organisations should find out if the terrorists may have singled out South Africans for target. They should find out if the attackers may have taken time to plan, waiting for the time the South Africans were visiting The SCOAN in large numbers. Eighty percent of those who died in the collapsed building were South Africans. Was this a revenge attack by terrorists?

The court should do a thorough job. All evidences should have been admitted, including that of forensic experts from across the world. A hurried, short investigation will put the future of Nigerians at peril. There should be deep consideration for circumstantial facts and evidence. With the outcome of the coroner's inquest, it is now certain that the Nigerian investigative capacity needs an overhaul. The investigation was not thorough. There were no evidences from forensic experts who should have taken scientific information from the rubble of the collapsed building for laboratory analysis. The forensic experts should further be invited to examine the particles found at the site of the building if indeed there were materials related to an explosion.

This will remove the growing suspicion that there is a conscious attempt to blackmail the church and its operators and that there is a preconceived notion, aimed at putting the church down which may have beclouded critical examination of the facts before the court.

Signed,

Dr Anselm Oboku

SOURCE: Today's Punch Newspaper

This was published in 'Tribune' Newspaper today... this is getting hotter!

A STATEMENT FROM THE O'ODUA NATIONALIST COALITION (ONAC) ABOUT THE VERDICT OF THE INQUEST INTO THE COLLAPSE OF A BUILDING AT THE SYNAGOGUE, CHURCH OF ALL NATIONS (SCOAN)

On behalf of the Pan Yoruba Groups, representing 35 Pan Yoruba Groups, we hereby make the following observations following the report of the findings on the collapsed building at The Synagogue, Church Of All Nations (SCOAN).

An end has NOT come to the serious issues raised by the church that the building's collapse was orchestrated by a third, evil party. It is in the interest of the people of the South West to get to the root of this matter for the wellbeing and peace of our homeland.

It is important to carry out a more thorough investigation given the fact that conscious attempts have historically been made to give the Yoruba people a false sense of security that the South West is free of Boko Haram. This suspicion is further fuelled by attempts to cover up the explosions in Apapa last year which, though evidence clearly pointed to a bomb, was claimed by authorities to be nothing more than mere speculations. The facts raised through the evidence presented before the court including the way and manner the building fell in one fell swoop, which indicated 'controlled demolition', continue to linger.

Before the collapsed building, there had been series of threats issued by Boko Haram that it would attack worship places across the country. The Synagogue, Church Of All Nations (SCOAN) have, in particular, been threatened by terrorist groups in the past. The pastor of the church, Pastor T.B. Joshua, on several occasions, had intimated the Nigerian public and all the relevant security agencies. This appears to have been neglected by the authorities.

The essence of the coroner inquest is to do a thorough job that usually lasts for several months. We hope it was not a case of the magistrate already making up his mind ab initio. We are aware that The Synagogue, Church Of All Nations is and has been a victim of faith-based bias given the unhealthy rivalry among Christians in Nigeria. We only hope this will not affect the judgment of individuals and the relevant authorities.

Even though the collapsed building has foreign nationals, and also many Nigerians died, the relevant judicial authority did not obtain clear and evidence-based information from the members of the International Community, especially the South African government whose nationals were also involved.

There were no attempts to seek the assistance of international police or any relevant international agency in the probe of the collapsed building given the far reaching global implications of the incident. There should be enough evidence obtained from the Nigerian Society of Engineers who should have been invited to provide relevant evidence on the instituted probe.

No matter what happened, 116 people died. There are widespread thoughts that the Lagos State Government should have sent emissaries to the church and families of the victims to commiserate with them, giving the possibly wrong impression that some government officials are biased from the beginning. ONAC fears a clear attempt to demonize the whole episode without a clear-cut evidence based approach, for reasons best known to the forces behind the veil.

What is going on at The Synagogue Church should interest state authorities in the South-West. It is said that SCOAN receives about one million visitors from America, Asia, Latin America and Europe every year, employing over 50,000 workers - more than the population of some state's civil servants in the South West. We think that the Lagos State government should explore the potential areas of cooperation irrespective of the bad blood that the incident of the collapsed building may have caused.

One of the major sources of Saudi Arabia's and Israeli wealth is faith tourism. In Asia, herbalists in the Chiang Mai region contribute to the national economy of Thailand through its millions of visitors, not to talk of a Christian church which global reputation remains one of the rare sources of inspiration to millions of Christians all over the world, against the background of the sordid image of Nigeria. In many countries all over the world, the drug and scam images of Nigeria disappear at the mention of the name Synagogue, Church Of All Nations (SCOAN). This is a monument that the Yoruba nation and Nigeria will destroy to our own eternal peril.

All over the world, religion has become a compelling passion and progressive governments realise this by tapping into its thrill and the gripping impact on the sociology of the state and its people. We also observe that the decrepit state of the road from Isolo to Ikotun where the church is situated leaves an extremely bad taste on the lips of the millions of visitors who throng the church about the potentials of foreign investment in Lagos State and even the entire South West States.

After the collapsed building, no South West governor visited to commiserate - even one year after the incident. This raises questions about what could have been responsible for this absence of empathy, even though local and international agencies visited the church, at least to show sympathy for the departed souls. We have confidence that the Lagos State governor, His Excellency Akinwunmi Ambode, given his pedigree, will correct this negative impression soon.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mAccLLUNq2s

Take a look and see for yourself. This collapse was NOT ORDINARY!

Read this statement in 'The Nation' today...

A Statement On The Coroner's Inquest Of The Synagogue, Church Of All Nations By The West Africa Civil Rights Coalition (WACROC)

The Central Working Committee (CWC) of the West African Civil Rights Coalition (WACROC) hereby expresses full interest in the recent Coroner's Inquest into the collapse of a building within The Synagogue, Church Of All Nations (SCOAN) in Lagos, Nigeria.

The concern of our members drawn from across 12 of the 16 member states of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) is driven by the terse socio-political situation in most of the West African countries, most especially as it relates to faith-induced violence and the weakness of security and judicial institutions to appreciate and understand this sordid trend.

Today, the major challenge being faced by ECOWAS in Chad, Niger, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Togo and Nigeria amongst others is terrorism. There has been sophistication in the mode of attacks by the extremist groups since several months ago when Boko Haram christened itself the Islamic State of West Africa. Prior to this public announcement, the group has carried out attacks and terrorist campaigns on sub-regional levels.

The collapsed church building in Lagos, to us, looks too extraordinary. Can a building collapse without prior signals on its design and structure? Can a building collapse without prior cracks on the walls? Can a building collapse on a single space as if in a controlled demolition? If any extremist group is to live by its name (Islamic State of West Africa), The Synagogue, Church Of All Nations is a perfect target, being the most popular church in West Africa with such a huge emotional attachment by the Christian faithful throughout the region who throng the church in thousands by road, by sea and by air every Sunday.

Many faith-based groups have rejected threats of plans by the extremist group to attack them. In most cases, there has been very poor management of information, poor investigation skills of the intelligence security personnel and the desperation to respond only to the human casualties without a critical focus on the intelligence gathering on the form and content of such attacks. This is a bad commentary on West Africa's future.

We are concerned that most states in West Africa do not possess the technology and the required skill needed for a thorough forensic analyst of pre and post catastrophes. This often leads to poor conclusions that fail to meet the growing sophistication of the terrorist groups and their fresh tactics and strategies. For instance, though states and governments of West Africa are aware of the pre-collapse threat notices to The Synagogue, Church Of All Nations by the terrorist group before the building collapse, it is sad and quite unfortunate that no thorough investigation has been launched to unravel those behind the plot.

There was also evidence of a strange plane that hovered over the collapsed building shortly before the incident. This was clearly shown in the video circulated all over the world. It is quite unfortunate that nothing has been done to probe this aspect even though it is evident as indicated in the video. What happened was a clear attempt to dismiss this key area as trite. It is on this basis that we ask the Lagos State Government to probe deeper into the well-founded claims of the attack on the church building being as a result of a bomb.

The Lagos State government should probe the possible link between the attack and the contract said to have been signed between the Nigerian Federal Government under President Goodluck Jonathan and a private South African company. This may have been accountable for the fact that over 70% of the casualties were South Africans.

It is our informed opinion that the Lagos State government should on its own, for its own security and for the wellbeing of her 20 million citizens, and to prevent future occurrences, conduct an independent investigation, with the help of international agencies, to unravel the immediate and remote causes of the building collapse in the context of global terrorism and the new scientific devices of terror campaigners across West Africa.

The Lagos State government, the Federal Government of Nigeria and West African governments should take critical and well informed steps and should not allow institutional opinions to be prejudiced by the well known malaise and rivalry that exist in Nigerian Christendom which often reflect the acts of government institutions and the idiosyncrasies of individuals in government.

NGOs across West Africa will begin a massive drive to set aside harmful decisions taken and to ensure there is justice for the church, the victims and the society. We have made this observation in good faith and are hoping that the Lagos State government, the governments of Nigeria, West African nations and her good people will drink from this pot of wisdom.

Established since 1996, WACROC promotes justice, peace and human rights in West Africa. Its members comprise of people from Ghana, Nigeria, Ivory Coast, Togo, Benin Republic, Cameroon, Burkina Faso, Liberia, Guinea, Guinea Bissau, Cape Verde, Gambia, Niger and Chad.

This was clearly an attack against the church...


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nsOmm6sfHHA

This is not PROSECUTION by the Lagos State Government but PERSECUTION of Prophet T.B. Joshua and the body of Christ worldwide.

Watch and tell me your thoughts...

I am very sure TBJ will contest this verdict in court - and probably attempt to involve some foreign judiciary - since he is valued more abroad than at home. I feel the Nigerian government will regret this coverup...

Thousands of foreign supporters of Nigerian Pastor T.B. Joshua have taken to Facebook to express their dismay and disgust at the controversial verdict released by the Lagos coroner's court which ruled the fatal collapse of a building at the cleric's church last year was due to structural defaults.

"Do you know what this verdict will cost Nigerians both at home and abroad," wrote a fan from America who gave his name as 'Freedom'. "The Nigerian government should know the whole world has seen the footage of what happened in the incident. You cannot hide the truth."

"I am a lawyer and I must say that indeed the coroner panel was biased," wrote John Mooney, an Australian. "The Lord shall vindicate you and the entire church," he added, commenting on the official statement released by The SCOAN which rejected the coroner's outcome as 'one-sided' and 'unreasonable'.

Morcie Tulloch, a Jamaican, stated, "This attack on your ministry is an indication that you are impacting the kingdom of darkness not only with your deliverance and healing ministries but your love and care for the poor and suffering."

"What else do we expect from the so called coroner," wrote Peter from United Kingdom. "The same people who masterminded the controlled demolition of the SCOAN guest house are also behind the coroner's unholy verdict," he adamantly assisted.

John Parker, an American, stated, "The truth will eventually be revealed and may God have mercy on those who would bear false witness against a man of God!"

"Why is a bombed building said to have collapsed due to poor workmanship," commented Zgambo Binford, a Kenyan based Malawian. "I now see why us Africans are 1000s of years behind Westerners."

Dee Kivido from Holland was insistent that it was not a case of structural failure. "The way that building came down is CLEAR to anyone even with minimum construction knowledge that it was not caused by structural defects," she stated. "I am a woman in construction and can attest to this."

"Nigeria should know that human rights activists will not rest this case until justice is done," added Matt Weller, a social activist from Germany. "The Nigerian government will be made to pay for this monumental cover-up," he heatedly declared.

"This is further proof that the church is being attacked by darkness throughout the world," wrote American Cindi Sherstad, comparing The SCOAN verdict with the recent decision of the US Supreme Court to approve same-sex marriage.

"I pray that calmness shall come over this situation," wrote Christian-Elizbe van Schalkwyk from South Africa, assuring Joshua that South Africans were behind him and his ministry.

115 people perished, the majority of them being foreign pilgrims, when a guesthouse within The SCOAN collapsed on September 12th 2014. Joshua has maintained his stance that the church was attacked.

SOURCE: Linda Ikeji Blog - http://lindaikeji..com/2015/07/foreigners-fault-nigeria-on-tb-joshua.html

Nigerian Prophet T.B. Joshua has launched a scathing attack against the verdict of the coroner’s court in Lagos yesterday which ruled the tragic collapse of a building within his church last year was due to structural failure.

“The Synagogue, Church Of All Nations (SCOAN) rejects the verdict of the coroner on the grounds that it is unreasonable, one-sided and biased,” a statement released via their official Facebook page read, attributed to Barr. Olalekan Ojo, lead counsel to The SCOAN.

“The church maintains its stand that the incident was as a result of sabotage,” the statement continued, further adding that the public should not be misled by media reports casting sensational headlines suggesting the church was liable for prosecution over ‘criminal negligence’.

The statement highlighted that no evidence was found that The SCOAN hired incompetent professionals or used substandard materials in the construction of the building.

“There was no finding that connected the incident with the lack of a building permit,” the statement proceeded, adding that the process of procuring the necessary approval was well underway and had been assessed and accepted by relevant government agencies before the incident.

“The church disagrees most vehemently with the finding that the incident was due to structural failure,” continued the strongly worded statement, insisting the verdict failed to consider substantial evidence which pointed to sabotage and ruled out structural failure.

“It was a one-sided verdict which left many issues unaddressed and questions unanswered.”

The SCOAN highlighted that the verdict failed to even recognise the CCTV footage released by the church which showed “the 6-storey building falling in less than 4 seconds – a manner consistent with controlled or externally induced demolition”.

It concluded by stating that Chief Magistrate Oyetade Komolafe’s admission “that the conduct of the investigation of the incident was compromised... calls into question the integrity and reliability of the entire investigation.”

Joshua’s supporters were vocal in their support of the ‘prophet’ in the thousands of comments posted beneath the statement, many insisting the verdict was the work of ‘the devil’.

“If you bury a lie, it will rot. If you bury the truth, it will rise,” wrote Opeyemi Oduwole. “We South Africans know what happened to the building; we know the truth. No matter how they lie, the truth will prevail,” added Bridget Mkhonto.

Joshua followed up on the statement by posting a video on Facebook highlighting the differences between controlled demolition and structural failure with the caption, “No matter how fast a lie runs, the truth will someday overtake it.”

SOURCE: http://www.nigerianeye.com/2015/07/tb-joshua-spits-fire-on-coroners-verdict.html

After the widely publicised story of Nigerian Pastor TB Joshua returning an elderly woman’s tithe, another video has surfaced showing the cleric’s unique action was not an isolated one.

“On 5th June, my wife died,” Ezekiel Ayodeji from Ondo State, Nigeria, lamented, three young children standing beside him.

He was shoddily dressed, clearly malnourished and physically challenged – one of his legs being almost half the size of the other.

“One week later to that time, the shop where I was selling electrical parts burnt down completely in a fire,” he painfully continued, the congregation at The Synagogue, Church Of All Nations (SCOAN) listening solemnly.

“When this problem arose, my landlord gave me a quit notice. They then sent my children out of the school. I am suffering; I don’t have food.”

Pastor T.B. Joshua paused sombrely before addressing the church. “These are the people that make your money useless… Money becomes a curse when we are not spending it on the needy.”

He then announced he would give Ezekiel N300,000 coupled with six bags of rice and the promise of scholarships for his three children.

The clip posted by Emmanuel TV’s YouTube channel fast-forwards one week to show the same man sharing his ‘testimony’.

“After the man of God gave me the money, the first thing I did was to go to my church in Akure and paid tithe to my pastor – N30,000,” he recounted.

“I then paid off my debts. With the remaining money, I bought a plot of land worth N150,000. I am here to thank God!”

Joshua then released a bombshell. “Well, I disagree with the pastor that collected N30,000,” he said, much to the surprise of the crowd.

“I am going to return that money back to you because there are many areas you can render your service to the ministry but financially, you are not strong.”

The cleric went on to explain, “He will still pay tithes but not now – he should invest the money and start something. When he starts something, he can begin to pay tithe.”

Joshua instructed that N30,000 be returned to Ezekiel, further advising him to backtrack on his decision to purchase land, stating the time had not come for such measures.

The clip ended with Joshua presenting a brand new car to Ayodeji, purchased by an Emmanuel TV partner and specifically adjusted to enable him to drive despite his physical disability.

“I never expected this at all,” Ezekiel shouted. “I thank God – I am now the owner of a car!”

SOURCE: http://www.lailasblog.com/2015/07/tb-joshua-returns-tithe-again-photos.html

VID -
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6O_CY_Cw_2c