BY Taiwo George
Oyetade Komolafe, a magistrate and the coroner in charge of the investigation of the collapsed building at the Synagogue Church of All Nations (SCOAN), has warned T.B Joshua, a prophet and the founder of the church, that he would be arrested if he fails to honour the coroner’s summon.
Expressing dissatisfaction with the absence of Joshua in all the sittings of the inquest since October 13 when it began, Komolafe summoned the pastor on October 24, giving him until November 5 to physically appear before the court to testify.
“The court has said that for the purpose of what we are doing; he should come,” Komolafe said.
“He should come and tell us what he knows. He cannot not sit there and be sending words to us.”
Jude Nnadi, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) who led the legal team of the church, said since Joshua did not witness the incident, there was no need summoning him.
But the coroner stood his ground, dismissing the argument of the lawyer. During the sitting of the inquest on Wednesday, Komolafe reiterated that Joshua had no reason to stay away from the court.
“The counsel should advise the prophet to come. The church is not on trial. Nobody is above the law. The court will be fair to all,” he said.
“If he is an institution with immunity, the court will not even go there. If the man refuses to come, he can be arrested… He has to appear. We summoned the prophet. We summoned the contractors.”
A guest house within the premises of the church collapsed on September 12, killing 116 people, mainly South Africans and injuring several others.
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