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My Daughter Buried In Rubble, S’African Mother Laments 10 Years After TB Joshua Church Collapse

Published

2 years ago

January 8, 2024

A South African mother, simply identified as Sonny, has shared her grief 10 years after her daughter, Princess Sibongile, was killed in the Synagogue Church of All Nations building collapse on September 12, 2014.

The mother, speaking with BBC Africa Eye, in a three-part investigation titled, “Disciples: The Cult of TB Joshua” disclosed that her daughter was buried under the rubble during the collapse.

Sonny said her daughter decided to visit Nigeria on hearing of the several miracles performed by the late Prophet Temitope Joshua (TB Joshua).

She said, “My daughter Sibongile Princess, died on her first trip to the synagogue. She was looking forward to being there just like everyone that you see on TV. She still has her favourite teddy bear in her room, which she had asked her siblings to keep for her. She was such a perfectionist.

“We all saw the miracles every day on television and we thought that this could only be the hand of God.

“However, on September 12, when I heard the news of the collapse, I tried to call my daughter, tried to send an SMS but there was no response. That was when I could not breathe. I could not sleep.”

The mother said she waited for days to get a call from the church on her daughter’s safety but got none till after five days.

“I waited for days for a phone call to tell me of my daughter’s whereabouts. The next Sunday, TB Joshua came on a live service and said there was a bombing.

“On television, they were showing us that the building had been bombed and showing this aircraft.

“I heard from SCOAN after five days and they told me that they were afraid that my daughter did not make it. My daughter died in a place where I thought it was safe. Because the Bible says, ‘Bring your child in the way of the lord,’ I always made sure that my children were always in church. I did not know I was taking them to church to be killed. That part was one I was not expecting. My daughter was buried alive,” she said.

Sonny’s son, Lwandle, also speaking, said his sister, fondly called Phumzile, was the golden child of the family.

“She was injured when she was at work. She had a back problem at work. She couldn’t get any assistance. Somebody referred her to this church in Nigeria, promising all these miracles and whatever.

“There were all these news flashes coming in that this church building had collapsed with South Africans inside and they did not have any details and the whole family was panicking. When we asked for information, they could not give us anything concrete. We were only asked to wait and pray. How?

“A delegation from the church came and pronounced that my sister had passed on. I didn’t have the chance to say goodbye to her,” he said.

The PUNCH reported that on September 12, 2014, the six-storey building collapsed, killing at least 116 worshipers, mostly South Africans, who were having lunch on the ground floor.

The then governor of Lagos State, Babatunde Fashola, who was at the scene ordered all church workers away to properly rescue trapped bodies.

The government also claimed the church did not get government approval before construction.

However, a few days later, Prophet Joshua appeared on a live telecast, alleging that the collapse was due to a strange aircraft which he claimed ‘hovered’ over the building hours before it went down.

A video released that day and published on YouTube also showed what looked like a plane flying around the building.

However, the coroner’s report found the cause to be due to structural failure and found Joshua ‘criminally liable’ for the deaths.

Three government agencies – the Nigeria Building and Road Research Institute, the Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria and the Building Collapse Prevention Guild – examined the site and found several inadequacies.

Part of the report read, “Inadequate beams of 750mm by 225mm (should have been 900mm by 300mm) were used.

“Inadequately reinforced columns (should have been reinforced with 12 x Y25 bars or 20 x Y20mm bars. Instead, they used 10 x Y20 bars (as seen in the video released by SCOAN) were also used.

“Other structural failures include inadequate bearing pressure for the central column due to the 2m x 2m x 0.9m foundations; failure to introduce rigid zones for bracing the structure and did not design the frames as an unbraced structure; failure to provide movement joints that could have absorbed any movement due to creep, contraction, expansion and differential settlement etcetera; and eight out of the 12 main beams of the structure failed because they were undersized, under-reinforced (both in tension and shear), the tension bars were poorly anchored to the column supports and 8 x Y20 was used instead of 14 x Y20.”

However, Joshua failed to appear at a November 2015 hearing and the church lawyers were said to have filed multiple applications to stay the proceedings.

Until Joshua’s death on June 5, 2021, he was not prosecuted.

Related Topics:Prophet T.B. Joshua T.B Joshua

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Police Deny Opening Recruitment Portal, Warn Nigerians Against Fake Adverts

Published

13 minutes ago

December 1, 2025

Editor

The Police Service Commission has debunked reports circulating on social media and several unofficial websites claiming that it has opened a portal for recruitment into the Nigeria Police Force.

The Commission described the publications as fake, warning that they were created by fraudsters seeking to deceive and exploit unsuspecting Nigerians.

In a statement published on its official website on Monday, the PSC said it had not commenced any recruitment exercise.

“The general public is hereby informed that these publications are fake and entirely misleading.

“They are the handiwork of fraudsters attempting to exploit innocent citizens,” the Commission said.

It added that no recruitment portal had been opened by the Commission.

“There is currently no ongoing recruitment into the Nigeria Police Force.

“The Police Service Commission has not opened any portal for such an exercise,” the statement added.

The PSC stressed that whenever recruitment begins, the announcement will be made strictly through authorised platforms.

According to the statement, official channels include advertisements in reputable national newspapers, announcements posted on the Commission’s verified website (www.psc.gov.ng), and formal press releases.

“We urge Nigerians to rely only on information published through these official channels.

“Any recruitment portal not listed on our website is fraudulent and should be reported to the police,” the commission said.

The PSC advised the public to ignore the fake recruitment claims to avoid falling victim to scams.

The PUNCH had reported that the Police Service Commission has cautioned Nigerians seeking a career in the Nigeria Police Force to beware of fake recruitment adverts circulating online, insisting that it has not yet commenced the 2025 recruitment exercise.

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FG Begins Free Liver, Kidney Tests For People Living With HIV

Published

13 minutes ago

December 1, 2025

Editor

The Federal Government on Monday announced that it has begun providing People Living with HIV/AIDS access to free annual liver and kidney function tests through expanded health insurance coverage.

The Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Dr. Iziaq Salako, said this during the commemoration of the 2025 World AIDS Day, organised by the National Agency for the Control of AIDS, and other partners in Abuja, themed, “Overcoming disruption: Sustaining Nigeria’s HIV response.”

World AIDS Day is observed annually on December 1 to raise awareness about HIV/AIDS, promote global solidarity, and review progress in combating the epidemic.

It also serves as a platform to reinforce commitment toward eliminating HIV and ensuring access to treatment for all affected individuals.

Salako said, “We are beginning to provide people living with HIV/AIDS with access to annual liver and kidney function tests through expanded health insurance coverage.

“We are also moving steadily towards full integration of HIV, TB, malaria, nutrition, and the National AIDS, Viral Hepatitis and STIs Control Programme in Nigeria as one service that can be accessed in one location at any point in time.

“This integrated approach will ensure that children and adolescents can access multiple essential services during a single visit, thereby improving health outcomes.”

He noted that during the 66th National Council on Health in Calabar, the consent age for voluntary HIV counseling and testing was reduced from 18 to 14 years to increase testing rates among adolescents, leading to earlier diagnosis, better access to care, and a reduction in transmission.

The minister added that the NCH also approved the institutionalisation of the National Clinical Mentorship Programme within the health system and urged states to integrate clinical mentorship activities into their annual operational plans and budgets.

“This is going to help ensure that persons living with HIV remain on treatment and prevent loss to follow-up.

“I call on all stakeholders—states, partners, civil society, communities, and the private sector—to strengthen collaboration, scale innovation, and accelerate our march toward the 2030 goal of ending AIDS as a public health threat,” he said.

The Director General of NACA, Dr. Temitope Ilori, stated that despite unprecedented disruptions—including the global pandemic, economic uncertainty, fluctuating donor support, and shifts in global health financing—Nigeria is on track to meet the 2030 target of ending HIV.

“We have maintained an impressive 87–98–95 performance toward the global 95–95–95 targets, demonstrating significant progress in diagnosis, treatment coverage, and viral suppression across the country.

“Eighty-seven per cent of people living with HIV in Nigeria know their status; 98 per cent of those who know their status are on life-saving treatment; and 95 per cent of those on treatment have achieved viral suppression—meaning they cannot transmit HIV.

“In the last decade, Nigeria has recorded a 46 per cent decline in new HIV infections, and more Nigerians living with HIV are enrolled and retained in care than ever before,” she emphasised.

The President of the Network of People Living with HIV and AIDS in Nigeria, Abdulkadiri Ibrahim, advocated for domestic HIV funding and stressed the need to address gaps in PMTCT, improve community engagement, and promote viral load testing.

“Drugs are available, but there are elements that need more attention, such as community engagement for retention.

“We need to discuss adherence, counseling, psychosocial support, follow-up for those who miss their appointments, and improve access to viral load testing,” he said.

Also speaking, the UN Resident Representative, Elsie Attafuah, advocated for domestic financing, protection of human rights, community empowerment, and the strengthening of Nigeria’s health system to enhance resilience, increase efficiency, and expand equitable access.

“Together, we will sustain the response. Together, we will overcome distractions. Together, we will build a future where every person can live with health, dignity, and hope,” she noted.

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FG Approves Promotion Of Over 24,000 Paramilitary Officers

Published

22 minutes ago

December 1, 2025

Editor

The Civil Defence, Correctional, Fire and Immigration Services Board has approved the promotion of 24,202 senior officers across the four paramilitary agencies under its supervision.

The Minister of Interior and Chairman of the Board, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, announced this on Monday in Abuja.

He was represented by the Board’s Secretary, Abdulmalik Jubril.

According to the minister, the newly promoted officers constitute the second batch of senior personnel elevated in 2025.

The affected agencies are the Nigerian Correctional Service, Nigeria Immigration Service, Federal Fire Service, and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps.

A breakdown of the figures shows that 11,426 officers were promoted in the Correctional Service, 4,336 in the Immigration Service, 2,581 in the Fire Service, and 5,859 in the Civil Defence Corps.

“From the 24,202 promoted officers: NCoS recorded 11,426; NIS, 4,336; FFS, 2,581; while 5,859 were elevated in NSCDC.

“The promotion was based on various parameters, including national spread, good records, ratification, performance and vacancy availability.

“The promotion is aimed at boosting the morale of personnel to ensure proper service delivery in their respective agencies,” he said.

He noted that promotions had stagnated in previous years but said the current administration was committed to improving personnel welfare to strengthen the fight against insecurity.

“In the recent past, promotion had been stagnant, but this administration is dedicated to enhancing the well-being of personnel to tackle the insecurity bedevilling the country.

“Among the several incentives introduced in the ministry, this is particularly worthy of note,” the minister said.

In 2024, the Civil Defence, Correctional, Fire and Immigration Services Board promoted 20,867 senior officers across the paramilitary agencies under the Ministry of Interior.

The exercise, which cut across various ranks, formed part of ongoing efforts to address delays in career progression and improve staff welfare.