Synagogue building collapse was fourth disaster to befall T.B. Joshua’s church

Last Friday’s building collapse at the premises of The Synagogue Church of All Nations, SCOAN, was the fourth disaster to befall the church, the church claims.

A statement on the church’s website said that before the church moved to its present location at Ikotun, Lagos, it had witnessed three disasters at three previous sites.

“The physical structure of The SCOAN has gone through different stages. Each stage served a purpose,” the church said on its website.

“Before moving to our present position, The SCOAN has had three previous locations. The roof of the first church was blown off by a storm, the second church was washed away by a flood while the third church also collapsed due to severe weather conditions.



“Shall we say all these happened without God’s knowledge? No. In every situation, God is still saying something. Today, The SCOAN is an architectural masterpiece located in the heart of Ikotun-Egbe, Lagos,” the church added.

Last Friday, a five-storey guest house inside the church’s premises caved in as three additional floors were being added to the original two-storey building.

While the latest disaster did not affect the church’s main auditorium, the death toll has been put at 90 people confirmed dead and 131 rescued from the rubble according to the National Emergency Management Agency, NEMA.

Speaking to his congregation during last Sunday’s service, Temitope Joshua (popularly known as T.B. Joshua), the church’s founder, attributed the building’s collapse to the handiwork of terrorists.

“This environment at Ikotun Egbe, we have never witnessed an accident of a building collapse,” Mr. Joshua had said.

“This is a very stable terrain. I have been here for the past 30 years. I am pregnant with words, but we have left the security agencies to do their job. Let us believe and educate our people and be alive,” he had added.