•’116 died in building’
•Lawyer seeks to stop inquest
A coronary inquest into last month’s building collapse at the Synagogue Church of All Nations (SCOAN), Lagos, yesterday heard that victims of the disaster died from traumatic asphxia.
The state Chief Medical Examiner (CME) and forensic pathologist, Prof. John Obafunwa made the disclosure during an inquiry before Magistrate Oyetade Komolafe.
Obafunwa said though the conclusive medical report was not ready yet, there are reasons from autopsy to ascribe the cause of death to traumatic asphxia as a result of crush injury.
He said a total of 116 people died from the incident, contrary to the official 86 given by the rescue agencies and the 115 death toll which was reported long after the operation ended.
Obafunwa stated that 116th body was brought in on September 22, after a patient who sustained injury during the disaster passed on at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH).
He told the coroner that 46 bodies were deposited at Isolo General Hospital’s mortuary – six at LASUTH mortuary (before the death recorded on September 22) and 63 at the Mainland Hospital’s mortuary in Yaba.
Explaining the role his team played, Obafunwa said that autopsy of external appearance, clothing and photographs were taken, while internal examination of various injuries were documented.
The CME stated that only five families totalling 10 persons have turned up for DNA samples at the state pathology department, expressing fears that case of missing persons will arise if more families do not come forward to donate samples for identification. He disclosed that some of the bodies were already decomposed because of heat.
Obafunwa stressed that the heat was not as a result of fire or explosion but because of the temperature variance underneath the rubble.
The chief pathologist said some of the bodies were mutilated, with severe cuts, multiple injuries, fractured ribs and bones, adding that following the decomposing nature, the bodies were embalmed.
“We took samples of subsequent examination for the purpose of DNA analysis and the dental team moved in for dental charting. Prior to the commencement of the autopsy, the bodies were finger-printed. Five families came forward – two members from each.
“All these were packaged in addition to 116 bone samples, 116 muscle samples of autopsy cases among others were shipped to the laboratory currently doing the DNA. At the moment, the autopsy report, dental report and photographs are being put together and will be included in the microscopic findings.
“But we are awaiting three things before the final submission – report of the finger printing, DNA analysis and the list of those who might have been resident or working in the building. With all that, we should be able to come up with our final report,” said Obafunwa.
Obafunwa said autopsy was performed on embalmed bodies that were decomposing.
The church did not cross-examine Obafunwa on grounds that its needed time to study his deposition. The court obliged.
In his evidence, the representative of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Ibrahim Farinloye, said they were not allowed to complete control of the disaster site.
But the church, through its counsel, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), said NEMA officials were let into the premises within five minutes with one vehicle.
NEMA, however, said its men came with an Incident Response Vehicle (IRV) with about 30 equipment, adding that the church provided 11 ambulances that were used in evacuating the affected persons to hospitals.
Meanwhile, the Federal High Court in Lagos has been urged to discontinue the inquest on the incident.
A lawyer, Mr Olukoya Ogungbeje is seeking an order stopping Justice Komolafe from sitting over further inquest hearings on the collapse.
He joined the state, the Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice Adeola Ipaye and Mr Komolafe as respondents.
The state constituted on September 26 under its Coroner’s System Law No. 7 of 2007 to investigate the causes and circumstances of the collapse.
The coroner, who began sitting on October 13, had visited locus in quo (scene of the event). He also summoned the church’s leader, T.B Joshua, to appear on November 5.
Ogungbeje contended that the composition of the inquest negates the principle of natural justice and Section 36 of the Constitution, and therefore should be declared unconstitutional and null and void.
He argued that if allowed to continue, the proceedings would occasion miscarriage of justice.
The lawyer said the coroner would base his decision on the testimonies of the same state officials who indicted Joshua and his church.
Ogungbeje said the Lagos State Emergency Agency (LASEMA), Building Control Agency, Traffic Management Agency (LASTMA) and others made public and prejudicial statements on the cause of the incident.
He said Joshua’s claim that an aircraft hovered over the building prior to its fall, and that it could have been sabotaged, was ignored.
