Three Months After Synagogue Building Collapse: Anti-bomb Squad Yet To Conclude Investigation
The head of the anti-bomb unit of the Lagos Command of the Nigeria Police, Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP), Olakunle Olanrewaju, yesterday told the Coroner conducting an inquest into the collapsed of a building belonging to the Synagogue Church of All Nations ( SCOAN ) that its report on the incident is not ready three months after.
Olanrewaju, who stated this while testifying before the Coroner's Court, said that the police decided to conduct a Post Blast Investigation (PBI) because it was suspected that a bomb might have been used on the collapsed guest house.
It will be recalled that the Lagos State Government had on September 26, set up the coroner inquest to ascertain the cause of the building collapse which left about 115 people dead.
Most of the victims of the collapsed building which serves as a guest house were mostly of South Africa nationality.
Olanrewaju also testified that the Explosive Ordinance Devices (EOD) Unit of the Nigeria Police would only go to the site of any disaster, if there is any reasonable suspicion that an explosive must have been used on the said scene.
He told the court that he was mandated by the state Commissioner of Police (CP), Kayode Aderanti to move to the collapsed guest house conduct the investigation becsuse the police has a duty to investigate any suspicion of the commission of a crime.
Olanrewaju further stressed that the decision of the Lagos police boss to dispatch the EOD personnel to the SCOAN collapsed site was because there was the need to investigate the possible use of explosives on the collapsed guest house.
The police witness said, "The mission of the EOD team led by my humble self was to find out whether or not the building collapsed as a result of the use of explosives. My team collected samples of debrils and roofing sheets.
"I was not able to conduct a Post Blast Investigation (PBI) because of the very heavy rescue operation going on as at the time my team arrived at the collapsed site.
"Immediately my team gain access to the site we swung into action searching for explosives and power source.
"We will base our decision on the outcome of the laboratory test to ascertain if the speed with which the building collapsed is consistent with control of explosion."
However, under cross-examination by counsel to the Lagos State government, Akingbolahan Adeniran, the Olarenwaju disclosed that, "I did not discover any power source, detonators, and batteries at the collapsed building. I cannot conclude that a bomb blast occurred until the laboratory test result comes out.
Earlier the Coroner, Chief Magistrate Oyetade Komolafe clarified that the inquest has not been suspended but that the court only excused founder of SCOAN, Prophet Temitope Joshua from appearing before the court to testify, pending the determination of his application before Justice Lateefa Okunnu of a Lagos High Court sitting in Ikeja.
It would be recalled that the Coroner's Court had put on hold, further actions as it relates to the invitation extended to Prophet Joshua to appear before it for the purposes of testifying before the court.
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