Church set ablaze in Ilorin

The Prayer, Faith and Miracle Ministry, a church located at Asa Dam area in Ilorin was yesterday burnt down by yet to be identified people. The church, which is also known as Ori-Oke Majemu Agbara was said to have been set ablaze at about 12:30am, when none of the church members or security guard was around. The suspected arsonists also burnt musical instruments, and public address system kept in the church, but spared the bible and portraits of Jesus Christ, which they removed to the frontage of the church.

They also reportedly carted away about 400 plastic chairs, which members of the congregation and clerics of the church normally use during service. Pastor in charge of the church, Paul Adekeye said the building had been badly burnt before they got wind of the development and invited the fire fighters to put out the flame. He said the part-time security guard they employed did not come for duty when the incident occurred on the excuse that his wife was indisposed. Adekeye said they had no quarrel over the land save about five years ago when a man from Baaboko area of the town, who claimed to be the estate agent in charge of it asserted that the land was not meant for church building.

He said the man had since around that time stopped coming to disturb them when he was told that he owner of the land, who conveyed it to them had disowned him and disproved his claim. The pastor who said they could not yet suspect anybody as the perpetrator of the arson disclosed that the church had reported the matter to the police and the Department of Security Service and that they had come to inspect it and promised to carry out a full investigation into it. Adekeye, who said property destroyed in the arson worth millions of Naira urged the state government to come to the aide of the church in reconstructing the building. Also reacting to the development, the Secretary of neighbourhood Christian Association Of Nigeria (CAN), Ayetoro/Jooro District in Asa Dam area, Gabriel Olasunkanmi Taiwo said while they suspected nobody yet as the brain behind the arson they appealed to the people to fear God and repent of the act. He also urged the state government to intervene, to ensure that an end was put to burning of churches.

Culled from : Daily Sun