29 worshippers die in Benue, Kwara rainstorms

Twenty-two worshippers died on Saturday during an Easter vigil mass when their church collapsed on them in Benue State.
An eyewitness told the News Agency of Nigeria on Sunday in Makurdi that the incident happened at an outpost of the Christ the King Church, Adamgbe Parish, Vandeikya Local Government Area of Benue.
The witness added that the church collapsed following a heavy rainstorm.
Confirming the incident, the Police Public Relations Officer, Mr. Alaribe Ejike, said the worshippers died when the Church collapsed on them.
He dismissed speculations that the incidence was caused by an attack as reported by some foreign media agencies.

Ejike assured the people of the state of the readiness of the police to protect the lives and property of citizens.
Efforts to get reactions from the Catholic Diocese of Makurdi failed as both the Director of Media Affairs and the Secretary of the Bishop did not pick phone calls made by a NAN correspondent.
But a security officer at the Bishop’s residence, Mr. Aondover Nyamor, said he was aware of the incidence.
Nyamor, who expressed regret over the disaster, added that it had caused pains to families of the dead members of the church.
Meanwhile, a pastor and seven worshippers were said to have died when one of the pillars at the retreat camp of Deeper Life Bible Church, Ilorin, Kwara State, collapsed on the worshippers during Easter Retreat.
The pillar was said to have collapsed at the camp at Eyenkorin on the outskirts of Ilorin following a rainstorm between 12.30am and 2.30am on Friday.
A family source of one of the victims, who pleaded anonymity, said five adults and two children died.
A source at the University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital, who also requested not to be named as he was not authorised to speak with journalists on the issue, confirmed that three of the victims – a woman and two children were brought in dead.
He added that two others died while receiving treatment, one of them inside a theatre in the hospital.
“Three of the people were brought in dead apart from two children and a woman who were in critical conditions. They were brought into the ward and given folders,” he said.
The pastor, our correspondent learnt, had gone to donate blood at a hospital for the victims after the tragedy.
He was said to have been riding on a motorcycle and suddenly ran onto an oncoming vehicle. Though our correspondent gathered that he was quickly rushed to a hospital by sympathisers, he was said to have died before he could be taken to the hospital.