Four lives were lost in a stampede at the Ghana branch of the
Synagogue Church of All Nations yesterday, when thousands seeking divine
intervention besieged the church premises to benefit from the
distribution of ‘anointed water’.
The anointed water was said to be a gift from the head pastor of the
church, Prophet T. B. Joshua, who had announced during a church service
at Lagos on Sunday, May 12, 2013 that the repackaged anointed water
would be sent to the other branches of the church across the globe.
Some members of the congregation, their relatives and first-timers
from the length and breadth of the country, who did not want to miss
out, spent the night on the church premises as the compound was said to
have been filled to capacity by 8:30 p.m. last Saturday.
Those who could not get into the church premises pushed a number of
barricades and police personnel on duty away, resulting in the stampede
which claimed the lives of the four people; three men and a female.
More than 20 other people were seriously injured in the stampede and rushed to the Police and 37 Military hospitals.
As of 4pm on Sunday, 18 of the injured had been treated and
discharged from the Police Hospital with two more still on admission
while four others were on admission at the 37 Military Hospital.
The incident resulted in the cancellation of the church service, which was to start at 9 a.m.
As this reporter meandered his way and struggled through the gridlock
to the church premises, many people were walking back to the Tetteh
Quarshie Interchange and informing motorists that the church service had
been cancelled.
Confirming the casualties to newsmen in Accra, the Accra Regional
Police Commander, Deputy Commissioner of Police Mr Christian Tetteh
Yohuno, said following a request for security support to ensure law and
order, the police mounted a number of barricades to guide worshipers
into the church and a mounted pavilion outside the church premises.
He explained that the police did not anticipate such a large crowd
because the church officials said it was a normal Sunday service.
According to Mr Yohuno, at about 6:30 a.m., the crowd overwhelmed the
police personnel on duty and started pushing the barricades away and by
the time a police and military reinforcement reached the church
premises, there had been a stampede, resulting in the deaths. He said
beside the 15 people who were seriously injured, some with broken limbs,
many others collapsed but were resuscitated. He added that the police
would conduct full-scale investigations into the matter.
A minister of the church, Rev. Sam Mc-Canaan, described the casualties as unfortunate and unprecedented. He said during normal Sunday services, nearly 15,000 people worshiped at
the church “but the numbers today seem to be more than 45,000”.
“We are very devastated; it is very unfortunate and we are very
sorry. We have to do a thorough work next time to make sure it does not
happen again.”
As to whether the church was expecting Prophet T. B. Joshua or the “Three Wisemen”, Rev. Mc-Canaan answered in the negative.
He said the possible reason for the large outpouring of believers was
the announcement of the introduction of the repackaged anointed water
by Prophet T. B. Joshua. He said that announcement could have fueled
speculation that the anointed water would be distributed during
yesterday’s service. “It was supposed to be a normal church service and
not a revival,” he stressed.
He commended the police for their response and added “but for them, we would have witnessed a disaster of alarming proportions”.
Two weeks ago, thousands of people, acting on a hint that Prophet T.
B. Joshua would minister in Accra, thronged the Ghana branch of the
church, off the Spintex Road, seeking divine intervention.
The large number of worshipers spilled over the church auditorium and
premises onto the street outside, stretching for about 100 metres where
canopies were erected on both sides of the street to accommodate the
anxious congregants. Some of those who could not find space under the
canopies had to sit or stand in the scorching sun, with a few taking
shelter under small umbrellas.
Source: Daily Graphic
