Pastor of the Dunamis International Gospel Centre located at Mission Ward North Bank in Makurdi, Benue State capital, Pastor Ezekiel Ahmed, died on Tuesday when the church building collapsed on him and some worshippers.
A source revealed that four other persons who were in the church with the pastor at the time of the incident were injured.
An eyewitness said the victims were praying in the church when the building collapsed on them.
“As soon as we heard the sound of the building collapsing, we rushed to the place in an attempt to rescue those trapped. It took us some minutes before we could rescue the victims from the debris.
“Four people were injured and one person that we later learnt was the pastor of the church was found dead,” the eyewitness who identified himself as Nath told newsmen.
The state Commissioner of Police, Batholomew Onyeka, confirmed the development to journalists on Tuesday.
He said, “The incident happened and one person died in the process.
“You know when debris falls on people like that, the immediate reaction is what happens to the victims. People who rushed to the scene were able to rescue four people while one person died.
“Those who were injured are responding to treatment.”
The church’s Senior Pastor, Paul Enenche, on Tuesday visited the collapsed church for an on-the-spot assessment.
In an interview with journalists, Enenche described the development as a sad situation, especially the loss of “a dedicated servant of God.”
“There is something to thank God for. If you look critically, it would have been worse if it happened during the eight hours Liberty Service or all-night last Friday,” he said.
