The South African government on Saturday, November 15, began
the repatriation of the bodies of its citizens killed in the collapse of
a guest house belonging to the Synagogue Church of All Nations (SCOAN)
in Ikotun area of Lagos state.
According to the Punch, 81 South Africans were confirmed killed in a guest house owned by the church of popular televangelist, T. B. Joshua, on September 12.
The bodies were removed from Isolo General Hospital and Mainland Hospital, Yaba in Lagos State. The airlifting of the remains was scheduled for Saturday.
The Lagos State Chief Forensic Pathologist, Prof. John Obafunwa, however, said that the South African and Nigerian teams were only able to identify 66 bodies. (The victims were identified through DNA analysis.) “We’ve so far identified 40 bodies at the Yaba Mainland Hospital mortuary and another 26 bodies were identified at the Isolo General Hospital,” he said.
Reportedly, the South African team, including military personnel, forensic experts and pathologists, have arrived in Nigeria around midnight and headed for the two general hospitals to identify and repatriate the bodies of their compatriots.
“We have been busy since yesterday (Friday) in preparation for today (Saturday). We have been here for 24 hours, getting the bodies ready; the bodies tagged, in preparation for today. We have the bodies that were located essentially in two mortuaries; the few bodies in Lagos State University Teaching Hospital’s mortuary were moved to Yaba Mainland Hospital. And we have some bodies at the Isolo General Hospital,” the Lagos pathologist stated.
He added that the South African team arrived at 4am and they started by identifying the bodies and setting up tents and other things. By 6am the South African team started picking each body, decontaminating them further and bagging them.
The South Africans, who arrived the country in two aircraft, shunned local facilities and items. They came with four forensic pathology trucks, generators, water, buses, pick-up vehicles and other items.
According to the Punch, the country’s team of forensic experts and pathologists were guarded by soldiers from the Nigerian Army, thus journalists couldn’t interview them.
The soldiers barred journalists from gaining access to the mortuary’s premises, saying they were acting on “an order from above.” Journalists were also prevented from taking photographs of the South African contingent. However, about three hours later, journalists were granted permission by the soldiers to take photographs of the facilities and the team.
Reacting on the equipment brought into the country by the experts, Obafunwa took a swipe at the Federal Government for its inability to make provisions for forensic science laboratories across the country, the lack of which, he said, had often led to mass burial of dead victims of major disasters in Nigeria.
Meanwhile, a minister in the Presidency, Mr. Jeff Radebe, who led the country’s repatriation delegation disclosed, at a press briefing in Lagos, last night, that the process of identifying all the corpses from the Synagogue building collapse had not ended.
He said: “Of the 85 South Africans, we have received 74 bodies from Lagos State government and would be flown to South Africa at 10:50 pm from the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, MMIA, to arrive at the early hours of Sunday (today). This would be through a chartered plane.
“And on arrival at the airport, short ceremony would be organised for the victims and the bodies would be handed over to their relatives.”
On Wednesday, Lagos State Governor Babatunde Fashola met with a South African government official, Jeff Radebe, and gave permission to the SA authorities to repatriate the bodies of the victims of the Synagogue collapsed building at Ikotun-Egbe, Lagos.
According to the Punch, 81 South Africans were confirmed killed in a guest house owned by the church of popular televangelist, T. B. Joshua, on September 12.
The bodies were removed from Isolo General Hospital and Mainland Hospital, Yaba in Lagos State. The airlifting of the remains was scheduled for Saturday.
The Lagos State Chief Forensic Pathologist, Prof. John Obafunwa, however, said that the South African and Nigerian teams were only able to identify 66 bodies. (The victims were identified through DNA analysis.) “We’ve so far identified 40 bodies at the Yaba Mainland Hospital mortuary and another 26 bodies were identified at the Isolo General Hospital,” he said.
Reportedly, the South African team, including military personnel, forensic experts and pathologists, have arrived in Nigeria around midnight and headed for the two general hospitals to identify and repatriate the bodies of their compatriots.
“We have been busy since yesterday (Friday) in preparation for today (Saturday). We have been here for 24 hours, getting the bodies ready; the bodies tagged, in preparation for today. We have the bodies that were located essentially in two mortuaries; the few bodies in Lagos State University Teaching Hospital’s mortuary were moved to Yaba Mainland Hospital. And we have some bodies at the Isolo General Hospital,” the Lagos pathologist stated.
He added that the South African team arrived at 4am and they started by identifying the bodies and setting up tents and other things. By 6am the South African team started picking each body, decontaminating them further and bagging them.
The South Africans, who arrived the country in two aircraft, shunned local facilities and items. They came with four forensic pathology trucks, generators, water, buses, pick-up vehicles and other items.
According to the Punch, the country’s team of forensic experts and pathologists were guarded by soldiers from the Nigerian Army, thus journalists couldn’t interview them.
The soldiers barred journalists from gaining access to the mortuary’s premises, saying they were acting on “an order from above.” Journalists were also prevented from taking photographs of the South African contingent. However, about three hours later, journalists were granted permission by the soldiers to take photographs of the facilities and the team.
Reacting on the equipment brought into the country by the experts, Obafunwa took a swipe at the Federal Government for its inability to make provisions for forensic science laboratories across the country, the lack of which, he said, had often led to mass burial of dead victims of major disasters in Nigeria.
Meanwhile, a minister in the Presidency, Mr. Jeff Radebe, who led the country’s repatriation delegation disclosed, at a press briefing in Lagos, last night, that the process of identifying all the corpses from the Synagogue building collapse had not ended.
He said: “Of the 85 South Africans, we have received 74 bodies from Lagos State government and would be flown to South Africa at 10:50 pm from the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, MMIA, to arrive at the early hours of Sunday (today). This would be through a chartered plane.
“And on arrival at the airport, short ceremony would be organised for the victims and the bodies would be handed over to their relatives.”
On Wednesday, Lagos State Governor Babatunde Fashola met with a South African government official, Jeff Radebe, and gave permission to the SA authorities to repatriate the bodies of the victims of the Synagogue collapsed building at Ikotun-Egbe, Lagos.
No comments:
Post a Comment