Lagos Orders Demolition Of RCCG Church Building After Worshippers Escaped Death

The Lagos State Building Control Agency (LASBCA) has ordered the demolition of a Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) parish building in the Somolu area after it was partially damaged by a nearby structure that collapsed during construction.

A building under construction came crashing down and landed on the RCCG church, causing significant structural damage.

It was gathered that no lives were lost, as worshippers narrowly escaped what could have been a fatal incident.

The Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA) confirmed that some members of the congregation were inside at the time but managed to escape unhurt.

When reporters visited the site on Tuesday, they observed that LASBCA had not only issued a demolition notice but also ordered everyone still using the church building to vacate the premises immediately.

Several official notices were found posted on the building’s wall.

One notice cited visible structural defects in the church, likely caused by the neighboring collapse.

Another demanded the building’s demolition within seven days.

The demolition notice read, “Please refer to the contravention notice with Ref. LASBCA /SML/25/PCA/CN/091 dated June 16, 2025, served on the structure above address.

“This office has observed that you have not complied with the instruction contained in the notice.

“Notice is hereby given that if the said infraction is not removed within seven days from the date of this notice, the said infraction/unauthorised or distressed building shall be demolished and the cost of such demolition recovered from you.”

Speaking to PUNCH, the church’s pastor, Daniel Ojo, expressed deep concern about how the demolition would disrupt church activities.

He noted that they had planned to hold a service that day but had to cancel it due to the unsafe condition of the building.

Ojo also shared his earlier doubts about the construction quality of the now-collapsed building next door.

He said, “We can no longer have services here. We are supposed to have service today, but we can’t meet.

“There was a bungalow, and some of our members were there. They had to relocate because someone bought it and pulled it down. Within a few days, they started excavating, and before you knew it, a new building came up.

“Without even being an engineer, we were wondering at the rate at which this thing was going.”

Now, with the church facing demolition, Pastor Ojo said finding a temporary space for worship would be tough due to Somolu’s highly industrial nature.

“Getting a location or an event hall for services temporarily is very difficult because Somolu is an industrial area.

“Also, if we move far away from here, we will lose our members, and we love the church as it is a family church,” he said.

A local trader who witnessed the collapse described how workers barely made it out in time.

“The construction workers escaped death because none of them was at the bottom of the building. They were all at the top, and when the building collapsed, they all fled for survival,” the trader said.

When contacted through the phone number on the notice, a man who identified himself as Adekomi Adeniyi confirmed the notices were posted by LASBCA.

He didn’t disclose his official position but said the agency moved to check the damage to the church once the rubble was cleared.

KanyiDaily also reported how a 52-year-old man, Morufudeen Idowu, who returned from Canada, was arrested in Lagos for crossing a major road illegally and attacking a taskforce officer who tried to stop him.