Two South African minors have sued the Synagogue Church of All Nations (SCOAN), its leader, Prophet Temitope Joshua and others at the Lagos State High Court, Igbosere over the death of their father at the collapsed church guest house in 2014.
The applicants, Bulungu Malaika Wa Kalambaie (3) and Nora Furah Wa Kalambaie (6) are asking the court for an order directing Prophet Joshua to pay them the sum of R8,772,000 as cost and damages for the death of their father.
The claimants are suing through their mother, Amina Busseh Bashi, a citizen of Democratic Republic of Congo, through their counsel, Chief Bolaji Ayorinde (SAN).
They asked the court to order Prophet Joshua, Registered Trustees of SCOAN, Jadny Trust Limited, Hardrock Construction and Engineering Company, Oladele Ogundeji and Akinbela Fatiregun to pay the money as damages for lost earnings suffered by them from the deceased person’s company due to the negligent acts of the church and pastor Joshua. Besides, they sought the court for an order directing the defendants to pay the claimants the sum of N30 million being the legal cost and solicitors fee incurred by the claimants in prosecuting the case.
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The claimants asked the court for an order declaring that Prophet Joshua and his church, SCOAN were negligent in their duties in failing to ensure that lives and properties of persons that come within their domain are safe and secured, and are consequently bound to bear their cost of living from September 12, 2014 to September 11, 2049 when their deceased father would have reached the age of 70 and would naturally be unable to financially cater for them. They (claimants) also asked the court for an order declaring that the failure of the Lagos State Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice and the Lagos State Ministry of Physical Planning and Urban Development to properly regulate and ensure that the Registered Trustees of the SCOAN and Prophet Joshua’s building being used as guest house and located within the premises of the church was fit for habitation is negligent.
They added that the said negligence led to the fatal collapse of the building used as a guest house and located within the premises of the church killing scores of people including the said Kalambaie Wa Kalambaie, that is the claimants’ deceased father/ husband.
Lagos state government had set up a Coroner’s Inquest in CR/AL/01/2014 at the Ikeja Magisterial Division of the Lagos state Magistrate Court, to ascertain the cause of the collapse of the guesthouse.
In its verdict dated July 8, 2015, the Coroner found out that the guest house collapsed as a result of the negligence, omission and or failure of the following defendants in the Inquest: The Registered Trustees of the SCOAN, Prophet Joshua, Lagos State Ministry of Physical Planning and Urban Development, Jadny Trust Limited, Hardrock Construction and Engineering Company, Oladele Ogundeji and Akinbela Fatiregun and recommended them for prosecution. — Ngrguardiannews
