Lagos Govt Threatens Demolition After Christ Embassy Fire Incident

Following a fire, the Lagos government announces that the Christ Embassy building will be razed if the integrity test is not passed.

Lagos government announces possible demolition of Christ Embassy building if integrity test fails after fire incident; church president Chris Oyakhilome plans to rebuild a bigger and better structure.

The Christ Embassy building on Billings Way in the Oregun Ikeja neighborhood of Lagos State, which caught fire early on Sunday, June 23, may be razed if it fails an integrity test, according to the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency.

In response, Chris Oyakhilome, the president and creator of LoveWorld, Inc., better known as Christ Embassy, declared that plans were underway to replace the destroyed facility with a new and better construction.

LASEMA Permanent Secretary Olufemi Oke-Osanyintolu made a suggestion about the possibilities on Sunday, June 23, while speaking with the media at the scene of the fire.

According to reports, the fire started at around 7:30 in the morning, but emergency personnel acted quickly to stop it from spreading to nearby structures.

It was also noted that an excavator was utilized to destroy parts of the fire-damaged building so that the impacted regions could be accessed.

In reference to the event, Oke-Osanyintolu clarified that an integrity test was required since the fire's intensity had resulted in wall cracks in the structure.

“We have seen a lot of structural defects; there are cracks on the walls and we are carrying out evacuation so that the place will be safe.

“We will ensure to subject the building to an integrity test where we can determine the next line of action. We cannot demolish at this moment until an integrity test is carried out. If it is not safe, then we will take the next action.

“We are working with the church, and they have been cooperating with us, which is why we were able to swiftly combat the fire. We have the structural design of the building with us, and we will investigate thoroughly to ascertain the cause of the fire.” Oke-Osanyintolu said.

Although the church was equipped with basic firefighting tools at the time of the incident, Oke-Osanyintolu admitted that the presence of highly flammable items increased the fire's intensity.

He continued, “As a professional, I realised that maybe there were lots of flammables in there in terms of the curtains and other materials. However, from what I have seen, they have basic firefighting equipment, trained men to curtail fire, and fire hydrants.

“One way or the other, we work as a team with them, and that's why despite the fire being massive, it did not spread, and there was no casualty.”

In reaction, Oyakhilome stated that the fire disaster at the church's headquarters in Lagos gives an opportunity to reconstruct the burned edifice on a larger and improved size during a live Sunday service at the church's campground in Asese, Ogun State.

He declared, “Nothing happens in the life of a child of God by accident. During the 2001 Ikeja cantonment bombing incident, the building vibrated so much, that we thought it was going to collapse. I thought to myself that if it collapsed, I was going to build a bigger, better one. At the end of the day, it didn't collapse, and we called the engineers to see if there was any need to bring it down and rebuild, but it was still okay.

“Now that this has happened, we will build a bigger, better, and more glorious one, and the devil will lick his wounds.”

Ibitayo Adenike, Head of the Search and Rescue Unit at the National Emergency Management Agency's Lagos Territorial Office, commented on the occurrence and emphasized that no worshippers were there when the fire started, which saved any casualties from occurring.

She stated, “At the time of the fire, there were no worshippers in the building. There were only a few people who were having a meeting, which was what helped to prevent casualties that might have occurred with a crowd.”

The Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service has started looking into what started the fire in the interim.

“The cause of the fire has not yet been determined and investigations are underway to ascertain its origin,” said Margaret Adeseye, Director of LSFRS, on Sunday, June 23.

“No casualties have been reported at this time. Updates will be provided as more information becomes available.”