House of David loses multi-million naira Lagos church to fire
The multi-million naira church auditorium of the Household of David church, located on Surulere Street, Adeniyi Jones in the Ikeja Local Government Area of Lagos State, was destroyed by fire, which also completely destroyed the church building.
On Wednesday, at around 10:00 am, the incident took place.
The Lagos State Fire Service spokesperson, Amodu Shakiri, confirmed the incident over the phone with our correspondent. He revealed that the fire started as a result of the church's auditorium ceiling collapsing due to overheating.
The relevant agencies on the scene, he continued, were the Red Cross, LASAMBUS, LASEMA, and the Alausa and Ikeja Fire Stations of the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service.
Shakiri stated that the auditorium and furnishings of the church were among the properties harmed by the fire.
However, the fire was contained to the church's auditorium, where it began, while neighbouring properties were being saved, he stated. LASAMBUS, LASEMA, Red Cross, Alausa and Ikeja fire stations, and the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service were the pertinent agencies involved. Additionally, the church's belongings and the auditorium were among the properties destroyed by the fire.
In an Instagram video, Olusola Osunmakinde, Senior Pastor of Household of David, responded to the tragedy by saying, "It is a painful experience."
A bystander made fun of Osunmakinde by asking, "Where was Jesus when this happened?"
According to him, the church's furniture, chairs, and air conditioners were all burnt.
"Mercy Conference," as we all know, begins today, but I just want to share a message with everyone because of something that happened. When I arrived this morning, everything was going smoothly and everyone was getting set up. Suddenly, we began hearing rumours that there was something on the church roof, and there was fire. I'm sure there will be responses and comments made by others, but that's not something I'm worried about right now.
"We thank God for everything and we are grateful that no lives were lost. That is the most important thing." Though we remain optimistic, we still plan to proceed with the conference because we have faith in God.
"There is no doubt that it was a painful experience. Someone even made fun of it by asking, "Where was Jesus when this happened?" as they entered the compound. We don't owe anyone an explanation; all we think is that everything is interconnected. By God's grace, everything works out for the good, so we won't give up in spite of this.