Barely 48 hours after the collapse of the St. Robert’s Catholic Mission, Adamgbe in Vandeikya Local Government Area of Benue State, which killed 22 persons and left many seriously injured,? some members of the church have advocated for mass burial to be given to those that died during the tragedy.
A member of the church, Thomas Ikpa, yesterday,? said, “the people that were killed as a result of? the collapse of the church building have died? believers’ death, though very painful, but they deserved to be given mass burial at the church yard to signify that they actually died during the Easter Vigil mass.”
LEADERSHIP recalls that about 36 members of the St. Martins Catholic Parish Mbape, Shangev-Ya in Kwande Local Government Area of the state, about 15 years ago, were traveling for a diocesan meeting to Konshisha Local Government Area of Benue State and were all perished in a fatal auto crash. They were given mass burial at the premises of the St. Martins Parish Mbape.
But sources revealed that no? burial date had been fixed for any of the victims?? who died in the collapsed church? by any of the deceased? families and that the council of? St. Roberts Catholic mission Adamgbe, also has not decided on whether to give mass burial to its lost members.
However, the Benue state Government has offered the sum of N1 million to the entire Adamgbe community, including members of the collapsed church, just as it has promised to assist in the burial of those that lost their lives and also to settle hospital bills of the injured.
The state Deputy Governor, Steven Lawani, who represented Governor Gabriel Suswam made the monetary donation and promises, Sunday night, when he visited the scene of the tragedy. He described the incident as shocking and said that the development was very unfortunate.
According to Lawani, he was only holding brief for Suswam who, he said, was out of the state.