Bloody Saturday In A/Ibom: 200 Worshippers Dead After Church Collapses, How Governor Escaped Death By A Whisker

Reports reaching THE CMP NEWS indicates that about 200 worshippers died after the building of Reigners’ Bible Church Int’l Inc, along Uyo Village Road, Uyo, the state capital, collapsed during service on Saturday.

The Governor of Akwa Ibom State, Mr. Udom Emmanuel, who was present at the service at the time of the incident escaped death by a whisker. Sources said it took the efforts of the governor’s security officers to whisk him away to safety, after having sustained some injuries.

According to Punch reports, the governor was in the church attending the ordination of the church’s Presiding Pastor, Bishop Elect Akan Weeks, when the building gave way few minutes before offering period.

One of the aides, who rescued the governor, was said to have died at a nearby hospital where he was rushed to.

A security officer, who did not want to be named, said many dignitaries who accompanied the governor to the church also died.

It was gathered that the Secretary to the State Government, Mr. Etekamba Umoren, also shattered his head in the incident. He was said to have been taken to an undisclosed hospital in the state.

Additionally, it was gathered that the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Ekerette Udoh, also sustained serious injury.

It was gathered that construction works on a section where the ordination held were rushed because of Saturday’s event. The church has an estimated 10,000-seater capacity. Two cranes belonging to construction giant, Julius Berger, were used to clear the debris.

Mrs. Yenime Ekpo, who is a mother to one of the victims, Tony Brown, 46 with six children, said they were worshiping in the church when the building collapsed.

She stated that Brown was trapped in the rubble for many hours along with others before she was rescued.

Saying she was unsure of her son’s survival, Ekpo noted that they were not members of the church but only went to witness the ordination.

Also, a student of the University of Uyo, Department of Communication Arts, Uduak Effiong, said she lost three of her course mates to the incident.

She stated that when the building collapsed, a pillar fell upon a woman and tore her body.

She said, “I saw over 100 dead bodies. These were the ones close to me. From my estimation, more than 300 people might have died as people came from other churches in all parts of the state, including government-sponsored praised singers with uniforms to attend the programme. For some of us that escaped, we only did by the special grace of God.”

Another student of the University of Uyo, Jennifer Thomas, told our correspondent that one of her friends, Blessing Linus, was trapped in the debris.

It was learnt that the iron used in holding the roofing sheet was twice heavier than the block used for the building. Security operatives cordoned the area and denied journalists access.

Tragedy struck in the least anticipated place, yesterday, Reigners Bible Ministry, Uyo, Akwa Ibom State capital, after the church building collapsed during a service. Conflicting accounts put the death toll at between 50 and 200 while Governor Udom Emmanuel, who was present when the incident occurred, survived.

Vanguard reports that no fewer than two of Udom’s commissioners and another aide were said to have been seriously injured with an unconfirmed report claiming one of the aides died.

Journalists were also said to be among the victims. Eye witnesses said the building, under construction, collapsed around 11 am, about 30 minutes into the programme to enthrone the church founder, Apostle Akan Weeks, as bishop. Weeks, it was learnt, escaped unhurt.

Udom, in a statement, commiserated with the families of victims of the church building collapse, adding that he personally supervised rescue operations after the incident.
The rescue operations, led by the state Commissioner for Works, Mr Ephraim Inyang-Eyan, were on-going at press time.

Vanguard quoted an eye witness who said: “I saw Apostle Weeks, Governor Emmanuel and other officials escape through the vestry, while the roof fell on some of the people,who did not know what happened”.

Another eye witness stated: “When we were about taking offering, 30 minutes after the governor came in, the building caved in. Security operatives took him away”.

Government House, Uyo correspondent of the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA), Uyo, Mr Uko Ima, who also survived the tragedy, narrated that a loud sound from the roof of the church building proceeded the collapse.

“Within seconds after the loud sound, the roof caved in and trapped scores of the worshippers”, Ima stated. The journalist, who is a member of the church, explained that two of his kids sustained serious injuries in the building collapse and one of them, David, 2, was admitted at St. Luke Hospital, Annua while Benita, 5, was receiving treatment at the University of Uyo Teaching Hospital (UUTH), Uyo.

Miss Uduak Effiong, also an eye witness, said a female victim’s bowel was ripped open by the tragedy. Effiong, who is a communication arts student of the University of Uyo, said she lost three friends to the incident.

One of the governor’s aides, Mr. Aniekeme Finbarr Ukpong, who moderated the event at the church service, thanked God for saving his life. “I thank God for saving me. I also thank those who called to check upon me. I was the moderator at the service and I am beyond being grateful to God’’, Ukpong said.

The Chief Medical Director of the University of Uyo Teaching Hospital, Prof. Etete Peters, said of the 50 cases treated in the treatment, only one person died.

He said about 200 persons were brought to the hospital dead, adding that the hospital had never prepared for such an emergency.

He said, “We only lost one person in the hospital except those that were brought dead. In circumstances like this, we have been overwhelmed. We need help from government.

“Many victims are in private hospitals and mortuaries scattered all over Uyo metropolis; we can’t really tell how many people have died so far. We have over 200 persons in the mortuaries. We do not have space as people are still being brought in.’’

“We have done our best to revive some victims. Right now, we have over 50 cases we are attending to. This is the first time we are witnessing such an incident.’’

A statement by the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Mr. Ekerete Udoh, appealed for calm and prayers for the injured as the situation was being reviewed.

The statement read,

‘‘Government of Akwa Ibom State wishes to commiserate with the families of those affected by the collapse this afternoon, of a church building along Uyo Village road.

‘‘His Excellency, the Governor of Akwa Ibom State, Mr. Udom Emmanuel was present at the church service during the incident and thereafter personally supervised rescue operations and the evacuation of the injured to the hospital. He has directed that the full resources of the State Government be made available for the treatment of those who were injured in the unfortunate incident.

‘‘A high-powered panel of enquiry is being constituted to ascertain the immediate and remote factors leading to the collapse of the church building with a view to forestall the re-occurrence of any such incident and bring to book any persons found to have compromised professional standards in the construction of the building.

‘‘In the meantime, the Government of Akwa Ibom State is appealing to all citizens of the state to remain calm and pray for those injured while avoiding undue speculation as the situation is being given the best possible attention’’.

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