T.B. Joshua’s Birthday Turns Messy, Police Attack Journalists, Disabled

CYRIACUS IZUEKWE

Security agents on Tuesday messed up the birthday of Prophet T.B. Joshua of the Synagogue Church of All Nations, as they molested people who visited to honour him at the church headquarters in Ikotun, Lagos.

P.M.EXPRESS reports that this followed the unruly conduct of the security agents at the entrance of the church. The police were said to have manhandled people especially the journalists and the physically challenged persons, who had come to honour the man of God.

Many journalists were locked out, manhandled and prevented from entering church premises. As if that was not enough, some police officers carried long woods and used them to chase away the journalists and threatened them to leave the vicinity.

Hundred of disabled persons who had come in buses and banners to facilitate with Prophet Joshua were also molested and manhandled by the overzealous officers.

Some primary and secondary school children who had come to the church were also denied entry and they had to stay along the roads with their souvenirs and banners in anger and disappointment.

However, probably when Prophet Joshua observed what the security agents were doing outside through CCTV, he sent a lady who came out and warned them to desist from manhandling journalists and other persons they had already denied entrance. It was at that point that the officers retraced their steps.

The senior police officers who later learnt about the treatment meted on the journalists, were not happy with the officers and warned them to desist from such conducts.

Two ladies later emerged from within the church, addressed and appealed to the journalists. They explained that the man of God did not schedule any event for his birthday and that it was announced earlier in the church on Sunday.
However, few invited guests were allowed to enter the church for the celebration and so many brand new Toyota Camry cars were noticed around the church ostensibly the birthday gifts for the prophet
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The celebration was said to have continued inside the church with few guests, while the disabled were under the sun and rain outside the church before our correspondent left the church.

P.M.EXPRESS learnt that Prophet Joshua had announced to the members that he was not marking his birthday and that if any member wished to celebrate that it should be done with the less privileged in the society. That might have led to the tight security at the entrance of the church, which made the police officers not to be civil in their approach.

However, those locked out equally marked Prophet Joshua’s birthday on the adjoining streets to the church with their bands and other musical instruments along the Egbe/Ikotun Road, Lagos.