Ogun State Govt. demolishes Redeemed church in Abeokuta

The Church before it's demolition

The Ogun State Government has demolished a branch of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, located within the highbrow Obasanjo Hilltop along the Presidential Boulevard, Abeokuta, the state capital.

Our correspondent gathered that bulldozers and men from the state Ministry of Urban Development and Physical Planning moved in last Friday, and within some few minutes, the church, still under construction, was brought down.

During it's demolition

The construction of the church was said to have started in 2013, and work had reached the roofing level before the imposing building was pulled down.

Construction workers and church members on site, when the demolition squad came, were taken aback, and eyewitnesses said all they could was to watch in utter disbelieve, with some of them fighting back tears.

It was learnt that emotions did not move the officials who had insisted that the building must be pulled down, arguing that the structure had defeated the estate design plan which was purely meant for residential.

Reacting to the demolition, the Senior Special Assistant to the governor on Media, Mr. Adejuwon Soyinka, said the governor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun, had no hand in the demolition, adding that it was purely a routine work of the agency of government in charge of urban development and physical planning.

Moreover, he argued that the church had been served notices on many occasions on the inappropriateness of the building in a residential area.

A Pastor of the church, Remmy Hassan, said he had instruction from the authorities of the RCCG not to comment on the matter.

He said in a text message sent to our correspondent, “The authorities of the Redeemed Christrain Church of God forbid me or any pastor from speaking to the press on this matter. I am a man under authority sir.”

Source: Punch