TB Joshua, the famed Senior Pastor and Prophet of the Synagogue Church of All Nations (SCOAN), is going to trial over his role in the collapse of the church’s six-story guesthouse killing 116 people last year. A statement signed by Bola Akingbade, the Deputy Director of Public Affairs in the Lagos State Ministry of Justice, confirmed TB Joshua’s arraignment for Monday, November 30, 2015.
Mr. Joshua is being arraigned alongside all the Trustees of SCOAN and two engineers who constructed the building that later collapsed, according to Mr. Akingbade’s statement.
He added, “the trustees (including TB Joshua) will be arraigned before Justice Lawal Akapo alongside the engineers that constructed the collapsed building.”
Pressure has been mounting on Mr. Joshua as the public continues to question whether he was criminally negligent over the collapse of the building. The Lagos State government has previously stated on the record that SCOAN did not have authorization or a legal permit to add floors to the guesthouse.
In the aftermath of the building collapse, Mr. Joshua claimed that it was the work of a mysterious aircraft, which had allegedly been spotted above the building. He later blamed Boko Haram for the collapse, saying that it was a terrorist attack. The Pastor has since found to be lying on both accounts.
Mr. Joshua was also caught on an audio recording offering bribes to Nigerian journalists in exchange for favorably portraying him in their reports.
Mr. Joshua has received several court summons ordering him to testify his case, but the Pastor has so far refused to comply forcing the Magistrate leading the investigation to threaten his arrest.