Pastor: I was the target

The collapse of The Synagogue Church of All Nations guest house was caused by the Nigerian terrorist group Boko Haram.

This claim was made yesterday by televangelist TB Joshua, who spoke in detail about Friday's disaster in which 67 South Africans were killed.

Joshua's claim contradicts the findings of the Nigerian Emergency Management Authority, whose preliminary investigations suggested that the collapse was caused by weak foundations.

Joshua said a "strange" unidentified aircraft had flown over the church's guest house four times before it collapsed. He said that he might have been the target of the attack because, he said, the aircraft followed him from his prayer room to the church. To support his allegations, Joshua released CCTV footage showing an aircraft flying over the guest house for about an hour until the building collapsed at about 12.44pm. Asked if he thought that he was the target, he said: "What would they gain from embarrassing or humiliating the members of my church? If they want to get my church, is it not [best] to cut down the head?

"Our neighbours know what happened. The police even heard it on their radio before the building collapsed. The truth will prevail.

"My position on this is that, if you don't understand what you saw on the screen, you will take it to experts to analyse it. The disadvantage is that these people [Boko Haram] have entered Lagos."

Joshua referred to an earlier threat by the terrorist group to bomb the church. When he first revealed the threat people did not believe him but his claim was later confirmed.

"In two or three weeks, you will believe what I am saying. They will not stop here. You will see signs and if we believe it, we can begin to educate our people on what to do."

Forbes magazine in 2011 placed Joshua at No3 on a list of Nigeria's five richest "super pastors", estimating his wealth then at between $10-million and $15-million. His church is said to draw 50000 worshippers weekly.

Joshua claims to perform miracles and cure incurable diseases such as HIV/Aids. It was the promise of such a cure that brought the pastor to attention in South Africa, when Springbok lock Wium Basson travelled to Nigeria in the hope of being cured of liver cancer.

After Basson had queued for hours, the pastor refused to see him, He returned to South Africa and died days later.

Jacques Pauw, in his book Dances with Devils: A Journalist's Search for Truth, said Joshua had tried to bribe him to report favourably on the Basson incident.