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Lagos - “The families of all the deceased should sue TB Joshua,” a Nigerian in Lagos said on Friday after 84 South Africans died in a building collapse at Joshua’s Synagogue Church of All Nations.
There seems to be scepticism among locals in the Nigerian capital about the self-described prophet who claims he can heal anything from disabilities to cancer and HIV/Aids.
“Obviously, with what happened last Friday, Pastor TB Joshua has no spiritual powers after all. He is fake. How come he didn’t see the disaster coming?” asks Tunde Dada, a civil servant.
“For someone who has falsely predicted or foretold events in the past, one would have expected him to also see last Friday’s event happening.”
South Africa's high commissioner to Nigeria, Lulu Louis Mnguni, told SABC radio news in an interview on Friday morning that the death toll had been revised upwards.
"The number has risen to 84," Mnguni said.
He said the search for those unaccounted for had been called off; and those people were now presumed dead.
“I am beginning to suspect the activities of the man who called himself a man of God,” Bamidele Jimoh, a student at the University of Lagos, told News24.
“Just last year, some worshippers in his church in Ghana died at a stampede, a tragedy which led to a ban on his activities in that country.
“Why would miracle seekers meet their sudden death at a place claiming to be the house of God? TB Joshua has not told Nigerians and the rest of the world the cause of all this.
“The families of all the deceased (in the Lagos) should sue T B Joshua,” Jimoh said.
High school teacher Ganiyu Hamza was less sceptical though because he says Joshua gives to the poor and needy.
“He should, however, accept blame for this disaster and not push everything to God who is innocent in all this. Raising a 2 storey building to six without firm support and approval from government to me is not justifiable.”
A total of 349 South Africans were in Lagos on matters connected to the church when the disaster occurred.
Of these, 265 were found alive.
