Survivor Of Uyo Church’s Collapse Claims She Was Already Seeing Her Dead Relatives

The land in which the Reigners Church, Uyo, was erected is under dispute and the matter is in court. A member of the Ekpe family of Afaha Oku Uyo who pleaded anonymity told Saturday Telegraph that the founder of the church had refused to fully settle them for the land in which the church was built prompting them to take legal action against the church.

However a victim of last Saturday’s tragedy at the church who had her leg severed by the heavy roof metal that collapsed on the congregation and presently admitted at University of Uyo Teaching Hospital, Miss Joy Edu Umoh, acknowledged that the church was involved in the land dispute and facing legal challenges.

Speaking from her hospital bed, Joy who is the acting head of the sanctuary of the church told Saturday Telegraph that the family that once owned the land had been a torn in the flesh of the church, harassing it to pay money for the public stream behind the church which is used by villagers.

“There are forces on that land and I know that the disaster had been unleashed spiritually before the physical catastrophe which is anchored on human error.

Our pastor kept telling us that the devil was working round the clock for destruction and that we ‘part time’ Christians were only surviving by the grace of God.

I keep remembering all the teachings of the pastor moments after I left the theatre after operations on my severed leg,” she said. Recounting her ordeal, Joy said that she sat in the middle of the church opposite the altar to be easily accessible to the founder of the church, Apostle Akan Weeks, in case of any errands.

She stated: “I am a member of the council of the church as a result of my position; I am in a terrible situation now because my leg was severed by the collapsed iron roof but let the world know that my pastor rejected the bishopric title for nine years.

He was not interested but they keep pushing him. Recently he was told that time was running out that he must be consecrated. The spiritual aspect of the ceremony had been done in gospel village, Abak, Akwa Ibom, a few months ago before he unwillingly accepted to do the one that turned bloody last Saturday in Uyo.”

Joy said she is dedicated member of the church and had converted all members of her family from Apostolic Church to Reigners Bible Church. According to her: “My entire family was in the church including my daughter, but I am the only one who sustained serious injuries.

I want to tell you that the pastor had asked the engineers several times to confirm that the venue was safe for the event and they gave him the go ahead.

The pastor even asked us to book an alternative event centre for the event which we did at E3 Centre at a discounted rate. You can go and confirm, the engineers told our pastor several times that the church venue was okay to hold the event.”

Joy said she would not have sustained the injuries if she had listened to the church elder who asked her to go take over the supervision of the cooking at the kitchen while the church service was ongoing, an offer she rejected. She said the church would rise again. “I am a Reigners’ member for life.

This challenge will now expose those who are true Reigners’ members or the pretenders because true Reigners will stand by our pastor to the end. Even in my condition I have sent him a text message to be strong for us.” Also speaking, another victim, Miss Esther Akpan said she just finished making her offering when the worst happened.

“I thought it was a heavy rain that started, then I heard a heavy sound and I passed out. I could recall seeing myself in a strange land exchanging pleasantries with late relatives and suddenly my late grandmother asked them to leave me that I didn’t belong here.

She brought out a big stick and asked me to leave and I woke up to see myself on the hospital bed with terrible leg and back injuries. If I had remained with them maybe I would be dead by now.”

Similarly, another victim Mr. Sunday Akpan said he was invited to the church by a friend and he decided to go early and sit at a very vantage position.

According to him everything was going fine until the arrival of the Governor (Udom Emmanuel) which increased excitement in the church. “After his arrival we embarked on offering collection and the song chorus increased with heavy vibration from the loud speakers then hell came down and I sustained these injuries.

I was conscious but I knew my life was in danger. The doctors have done well to keep me stable,” Akpan said. Emem Anietie who is presently hospitalised at St. Luke Hospital Anua Uyo and who worked as an usher during the service noted that she was at the back of the church when the tragedy occurred.

“I was moving round to ensure orderliness and was at the rear of the church when the roof caved in, in a most devastating manner and I sustained injures during the stampede that ensued. Victory Ekpot: A student of University of Uyo said she only woke up in the hospital as she slipped into coma when the building collapsed.

“I can’t remember much now, I just became conscious a few hours ago and discovered that my legs were broken. I am in deep pains now,” she told our correspondent.

Mrs. Alice Awana said her survival was by sheer grace of God as she was rescued from under a dead member,” I guess a late member shielded me from the debris that would have collapsed on me. I survived by sheer grace of God but my neck is broken,” she said amid deep pains.

Also speaking Miss Aniema Okon who is a chorister told our correspondent that she was among the few choristers that survived because she temporarily left her seat to use the convenience.

“The tragedy happened on my way back and I got wounded during the stampede; most of the choristers were buried by the collapsed roof,” said Okon who had a deep cut on her head and hand.

Mr. Oku Effiong Ekpenyong who was hospitalised at Life Care Clinic, Uyo, said the tragedy occurred moments after the governor and his entourage sat down.

“It was offering time which was to be followed by the Bishopric ordination proper. The loudspeakers were at their loudest when suddenly, within a few seconds, the entire structure collapsed on people. I don’t even know how I got to this hospital, I have terrible pains all over my body, they should please transfer me to another hospital,” he said.

Following Saturday’s church building collapse in Uyo during the Bishopric consecration of Apostle Akan Weeks in which many people lost their lives, a human rights rctivist, Mr. Saviour Akpan, has berated Nigerian engineers over substandard projects across the country.

Akpan, who is the Akwa Ibom State Coordinator of Community Policing Partners, Justice, Security and Democratic Reforms (COMPPART), decried the loss of lives caused by Nigerian engineers, through cases of collapsed buildings, stressing the need for hard look at the profession to save the lives of citizens.

However Governor Emmanuel who escaped unhurt from the collapsed church has inaugurated a panel of enquiry to unravel the circumstances surrounding last Saturday’s church building collapse which claimed dozens of lives.

Inaugurating the Commission in Uyo, the Governor charged them to do a thorough job of unravelling the immediate and remote causes of the incident and make recommendations to government.

The commission which started sitting from Friday is saddled with the responsibility to “investigate and probe the immediate and remote causes of the collapsed building; examine the roles played by any persons, institutions and authorities, as well as establishing the consequences of such roles.”

It would also identify and indict any persons, institutions and authorities responsible either remotely or immediately and appropriate sanctions and examine all the circumstances surrounding the collapsed structure and make recommendations. Meanwhile, from the 10 hospitals and clinics hosting many victims of the church crash, over 50 patients have so far been discharged.

Among those sent home from the hospitals are the Chief Press Secretary to Governo Emmanuel, Ekerete Udoh; the Chief Protocol, Hon. Edmond Uffang. Institutions and individuals affected in one way or the other by the crash have continued to mourn victims of the accident.

The Alumni Association of the University of Uyo that lost some students in the crash commiserated with the government, the church and the people of the state.