By Olasunkanmi Akoni & Monsuru Olowoopejo

Lagos—Youths numbering hundreds yesterday, stormed Lagos House, Alausa, Ikeja to protest planned prosecution of Synagogue Church of All Nations, SCOAN over the collapse of their six-storey building on September 12, 2014, by the Lagos state government.

TB Joshua-Synagogue Church

Also, traders of Sand-grouse Market, Lagos Island,  stormed the State House to protest  the planned redevelopment of the market.

Governor Akinwunmi Ambode  disclosed plans to reopen the Synagogue’s collapsed building case by prosecuting the church and the builder    following the recommendation of the Coroner Inquest, led by Magistrate Oyetade Komolafe, which indicted the church for failing to secure necessary approval before erecting the structure that led to the death of 116 worshippers.

The youths, under the aegis of Ijaw Progressive Congress and Eko Youth Front, stormed the office of the State Governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode to express their dissatisfaction over the planned action and appealed to the government to dump the move.

The youths who stormed the seat of power, displayed placards with various inscription, some of which read, “No man will build his house and allow it to collapse for any reason; stop the prosecution of our helper,” among others.

Speaking on behalf of the group, Mr. Innocent Agbo stated that before the building caved in on September 12, last year, an helicopter hovered round the building which he said could have orchestrated the collapse of the structure.

On Sand-grouse market

The protest came four days after the state government and some traders signed a Memorandum of Understanding, MOU to redevelop the market.

The traders lamented that the Chairman of the construction company, Mr. Hakeem Alobo Bakare who is the  developer, failed to provide the necessary space for traders who will be displaced by the redevelopment project.

Sources said that over 1,000 traders will be displaced by the redevelopment.

Speaking on behalf of the traders, Mr. Wahab Maimasa said “we are pleading with the governor to direct the developer to provide the required space for the traders who will be displaced by the project.”