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By Emmanuel Adeleke
Fire has razed the headquarters of Christ Embassy Church, located at Oregun area of Ikeja, in Lagos State.
According to videos from shared on X by multiple acconts on Sunday, officials of Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service reponded to a ditress call and arrived at the scene promptly
Police have also cordoned off the area to prevent a breakdown of law and order.
Vehicular and pedestrian movement on the street where the church is located have been temporarily halted.
It was learnt that Sunday’s service was immediately moved to Corner Stone, an annex of the church, due to the inferno.
Meanwhile, the President and Founder of Loveworld Incorporated, aka Christ Embassy, Pastor Chris Oyakhilome, has reacted to the fire incident .
In one of the church services, Oyakhilome said the inferno presents an opportunity for the church to build a bigger and more befitting edifice.
“Some years ago, I wished I had a better design for the affected place. But then, it would have required that we take off the roof. But now, I’ve got the opportunity to have something better there.
“When something like this happens, what does God think? God just gives us an opportunity to do something about it. What are we going to do? The house is gone, we clear out the place and build a better one. A more beautiful one. That is what we are going to do.
“Let the devil lick his wounds. We must look at life from the spiritual. This is not what we call an accident. Everything that happens in our lives is all planned,” he said.
The Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service (LSFRS) said the fire has been put out.
A statement by the Director, LSFRS, Margaret Adeseye, also blamed the church for the spread of the fire.
Adeseye said the fire escalated because the church’s fire service thought they could handle the situation without recourse to the Lagos fire service.
She said the cause of the fire will be made public after a proper investigation has been done.