Nollywood Actress Ini Edo Narrates How She Narrowly Missed Attending The Nigerian Church That Collapsed

Piece by: Grace Kerongo
Lifestyle

Popular Nigerian actress Ini Edo is in a daze. She is still processing how close she got to death. But thanks to a set of circumstances, she escaped the tragic ordeal that saw over 50 people get killed in southern Nigeria after a new church collapsed on worshipers gathered for the ordination of a bishop.

Worshipers were crushed by the roof of the large Reigners Bible Church, which caved in during the service. Nigerian television footage from the scene showed bodies trapped under collapsed metal girders and contorted corrugated-iron sheeting. Bulldozers cleared debris as hundreds of onlookers sought news of friends and family.

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Witnesses said the church’s construction had been rushed ahead of the ordination and it was packed far beyond its capacity.

“All of a sudden, the church roof started collapsing and people began running to safety. Lots were trapped, but I escaped because I was close to the entrance,” said David Uduak, a local journalist who was covering the bishop’s ordination. “Today we visited different hospitals where the victims were taken. Many were killed but it is hard to say how many,” he said.

Actress Ini Edo narrated how she was supposed to be part of that service.

She wrote, "2 days ago, I was very bitter about the unreliable nature of some of our airlines cancelling flights without prior notice thereby hindering my plans to attend a church service ceremony held in uyo.

Now out of determination, I took a flight to calabar with the hope of being in Uyo just in time for the service since the journey between calabar and uyo was just about an hour. The journey ended up taking over 7hrs because of an unexplainable traffic. No accident, good road no hitches just a headlock traffic. Whilst in the car, I started wondering why all my efforts to be at the service was being thwarted... then I got a call, that the entire church building had collapsed during the course of the service .... Once again, God had saved me..

She added, "My heart goes out to the families of the departed..may the good Lord grant them the heart to bear the loss. Everyday we see is a blessing..it's not because we are special or better..It's the exceeding Grace of our Lord Jesus. I am so humbled and grateful to God for preserving me."