Lagos govt shuts down Lord’s Chosen Church Headquarters

For allegedly defacing and constituting environmental nuisance to its built environmental nuisance,  the Lagos State Government has shut down the headquarters of the has shut down the headquarters of the Lord’s Chosen and Charismatic Revival Lord’s Chosen and Charismatic Revival Church located in Ijesha on Oshodi-Apapa Church located in Ijesha on Oshodi-Apapa Expressway in Lagos. Expressway in Lagos.

It was gathered that officials of the It was gathered that officials of the Ministry of the Environment shut down the Ministry of the Environment shut down the church and prevented the worshippers church and prevented the worshippers from having their service usually attended from having their service usually attended by thousands of Chosen’s faithful. Our by thousands of Chosen’s faithful. Our correspondent also gathered that the state correspondent also gathered that the state government was miffed by the way the government was miffed by the way the church had been defacing and degrading church had been defacing and degrading the environment and refusing to abate the the environment and refusing to abate the nuisance even after it had been served nuisance even after it had been served abatement notice to upgrade the abatement notice to upgrade the environment in the area. environment in the area.

To avert further abuse of its environment, To avert further abuse of its environment, the officials of the environment ministry, the officials of the environment ministry, accompanied by police officers went to the accompanied by police officers went to the church on Sunday morning and shut down church on Sunday morning and shut down the church, pending when the authorities of the church, pending when the authorities of the church will abate the nuisance in their the church will abate the nuisance in their environment. environment.

Confirming the closure, the Commissioner Confirming the closure, the Commissioner for the Environment, Mr. Tunji Bello, said for the Environment, Mr. Tunji Bello, said the church had committed lots of the church had committed lots of environmental abuse which it must abate environmental abuse which it must abate before the massive edifice could be re-before the massive edifice could be re-opened by the government. He said such opened by the government. He said such illegality could not be tolerated by the state illegality could not be tolerated by the state government, adding that the church did not government, adding that the church did not have proper waste management system. have proper waste management system.

Bello also said the church cultivated the Bello also said the church cultivated the habit of burning its refuse inside the habit of burning its refuse inside the church, an action which ran foul of the church, an action which ran foul of the environmental and sanitation law of the environmental and sanitation law of the state. He said the church despite its gigantic size, did not have toilets and gigantic size, did not have toilets and waste disposal facilities as they empty waste disposal facilities as they empty their excreta into the drainage channel and their excreta into the drainage channel and built attachments on the drainage channel. built attachments on the drainage channel. The commissioner said the church, founded by Pastor Lazarus Mouka, who founded by Pastor Lazarus Mouka, who serves as the General Overseer of the serves as the General Overseer of the Charismatic Revival Movement, does not Charismatic Revival Movement, does not have proper sanitary system , adding that have proper sanitary system , adding that they discharge their wastes into the canal. they discharge their wastes into the canal.