The Civil Society Network Against Corruption (CSNAC) has called on the federal government to prosecute the leadership of Reigners’ Bible Church for negligence that led to the collapse of its church building in Akwa Ibom State in December 2016.
At least 26 people were killed in the collapse, according to CSNAC.
CSNAC Chairman Olanrewaju Suraju petitioned the and Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, to prosecute the church’s leadership for its negligence and recklessness, saying that it violated laws regulations that could have prevented the tragedy from happening.
“The said collapsed church building structure had once been demolished by the Uyo City Capital Development Authority at foundation level and warned the developer to desist from erecting any structure on the site, as the land and the entire area where the church was built had since 2002 been mapped out by the government as a conservation area,” Mr. Suraju said in the petition.
“The said area lies on the hilly side of Uyo ravine, which is prone to landslide. In violation of the State’s law and flagrant disregard for the safety of lives, the church reconstructed the foundation and a massive structure on the land.”
Mr. Suraju added that the head of the Town Planning Department at the Uyo City Council Capital Development Authority, Effiong Akpan, revealed that the church had been marked for demolition due to its insecurity five times before its collapse. The developer of the church, however, ignored the warnings.
The Authority also gave the church’s leadership a 21-day ultimatum to remove the building, saying that failure to do so would prompt the Authority to remove the structure. The Authority could not go forward with its removal, however, due to financial constraints.
"It is also reported that the owners of the church blackmailed and harassed the authorities by threatening to liaise with the government to dismiss any of the authority’s employees who made attempts to embarrass workers on the church site,” the group stated.
"Based on the above facts, it is therefore our conclusion that the church in a flagrant display of nonchalance, high-handedness, impunity and negligence to the safety of lives at its church site caused the death of over 25 well-meaning Nigerians.
"We believe in the sanctity of human lives and as such any infraction of same should be dealt with according to the laws of our land in other to serve as an effective deterrent in future cases. This should be the case regardless of whose ox is gored.
"CSNAC hereby urge you to use your good office, as the chief law officer of the country, to issue a directive and monitor the prosecution of the said Reigners’ Bible Church for its reckless act of impunity and negligence which resulted in the loss of lives at its church site," the coalition said.
Uyo church collapse, Akwa Ibom State
BY SAHARA REPORTERS
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