Governor orders arrest of contractor of collapsed church

By : Online Editor

Date: 12 December 2016 9:36am WAT

udom-emmanuel-at-the-site-of-the-collapsed-church

Governor Udom Emmanule at the site of the collapsed church.

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Governor Udom Emmanuel, who escaped unhurt from a collapsed church building in Akwa Ibom on Saturday, has ordered the arrest of the building contractor, VOA reports citing state news agency.

Emmanuel was among hundreds of worshippers who were attending the ordination of the founder of Reigners Bible Church, Bishop Akan Weeks.

The governor said he has declared a two-day mourning period.

I declare Sunday, December 11 and Monday, December 12 2016 as days of mourning in #AkwaIbom #Udom Emmanuel pic.twitter.com/T3IDvVNEsh
— Udom Emmanuel (@MrUdomEmmanuel) December 11, 2016

Though the official record puts the number of dead victims at 27, reports, however, of the death toll vary widely, with some media saying as many as 160 people died, others placing the toll closer to 60.

The evangelical Reigners Bible Ministry in Uyo, the capital of Akwa Ibom state, was packed when the roof — which was still under construction — collapsed on the congregation late Saturday morning.

It “was about 11 am and 30 minutes into the programme. Suddenly, the roof from the middle fell on worshippers. The governor was quickly rescued. But others were not that lucky,” a survivor told local media from his Ibom Specialist Hospital bed.