Francis Arihilam
The Reigners Bible Church International Inc, Uyo building collapsed on Saturday during an inaugural ceremony.
Eno Etim, one of the survivors, spoke on how the building collapsed shortly after a lady was called to lead the praise worship. Mrs Eno, who spoke shortly before she was moved out of the St. Luke’s General Hospital, Annua, Uyo, to the University of UYO Teaching, Uyo, said the congregation was dancing when the church collapsed.
She said that she could not recall how she landed in the hospital, adding that an iron bar hit her on her back before she passed out.
Explaining that she was not a member of the church, Etim said she had come to witness the ordination of the presiding pastor of the church, Akan Weeks, as a bishop, because they both belong to the United Intercessors Network.
She said, “I was inside the church. Everything was normal; there was no problem. A lady was called to lead the praise worship session; the governor came in shortly after that. As the praise worship was going on, the building fell and I didn’t know how I got here. The iron fell on my back forcing me to fall on the ground with my face down.
Another victim, 22-year-old Emen Akpanitiat, said the building came down when the congregation embarked on praise worship when the governor came in.
Akpanitiat, who hails from Ikot Mbonde in Itu LGA, said the church building collapsed while the congregation was dancing and singing preparatory to offering collection. She said, “It was when the governor came and people started dancing.”
