29th September, 2014
Jethro Ibileke/Benin
Less than two week after a church building collapsed in Benin, capital oof Edo State, another church building collapsed in the ancient city.
The church auditorium which belongs to the Liberty Power Bible Church Incorporated, located at Asoro Slope, off Ekehuan Road, was said to have collapsed around 1.30pm after a heavy rainstorm on Sunday.
Although no life was lost in the collapsed church, a residential building was however affected by the disaster.
A church building belonging to Christ Chosen Church of God located at Usama street, Uzebu quarters, Benin, had collapsed, killing one person, injuring five others.
The owner of the church, identified as Apostle Moses Erue, was said to have returned few hours after the incident to salvage some properties and documents of the church.
It was gathered that the church auditorium may have collapsed due to the use of sub-standard building materials.
Owner of the residential building, Mr. Ajoh Silvanus, told journalists that he earlier warned the owner of the building severally about the inferior materials being used for the construction of the church auditorium, added that the church owner was only concerned about the safety of the public address system of the church than the damage done to his own building.
“I have been complaining to the pastor of this church that he was erecting the church like a fence without pillars, even the blocks were made with ordinary sand. There were no pillars in the the main building and outer part was build three rods and ‘Kalo kalo’ (inferior granite.)
“I complained to him severally times but he refused to listen until yesterday when the building collapsed and damaged many things. I thank God that it did not kill anyone because one of my younger ones narrowly escaped. But when the pastor came around, he only concentrated on the speakers in the church. I waiting for almost two hours, thinking that he would show concern for the damage done to my house. But he didn’t. So, I called the police to interfere,” he said.
Edo State Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Noble Uwoh, could not be reached to confirm the incident.
It was however gathered that the owner of the church had been apprehended by the police.