By A concerned legal practitioner, Bunmi Ibraheem has written how churches, including the Redeemed Christian Church of God have proliferated churches in the Osborne Estate, Ikoyi. It was learnt that the estate currently houses about 100 families but the capacity of only RCCG churches caters for 450 families.
Bunmi, who was the former Legal Adviser of the Phase 2 of the Estate disclosed that the management of RCCG actually created churches that can accommodate multiple of three of 100 families currently resident in the estate.
The Legal practitioner also disclosed that the constant influx of people into the Estate have created concerns for the residents as indescriminate parking and possibility of high presence of strangers going into the estate in disguise of going to the churches.
Just as he listed the location of the three RCCG churches, he also listed other churches with one having capacity of 200 cars garage. He also mentioned that a new building was being purchased and ready to be converted to churches.
In all of these, it was also highlighted that none of the churches in the Estate posses a government approval for their buildings as all buildings there were approved to be residential, and not for any other activities.
BBn gathered that officials of Lagos State Ministry of Environment and the Ministry of Physical Planning had approached the buildings and sealed it off but members were said to have destroyed the seal and entered the building to worship.
The latest sealing last week had the members blocking the entrance of the estate as they held their Sunday service right in front of the entrance gate. It was gathered that the act was carried out to ‘punish’ the Residents for reporting about their activites.
See below for his full statement…
As the former Legal Adviser (2012-2015) of the Osborne Phase 2 Estate, Ikoyi I am compelled to put the TRUE facts in the public domain concerning the proliferation of churches in our estate, especially the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG).
Osborne Phase 2 is a low density residential estate in Ikoyi with about 100 families currently resident there. Today, there are three RCCG churches in the estate at:
1. Rosewood Close
2. Acacia Drive
3. Mahogany Road
In addition an orthodox church has over 5000m2 in the estate whilst a Pentecostal church has bought or is buying land in the same estate.
In March 2017 the residents association resolved to enforce the estate master plan. The association petitioned the Ministry of Environment and the Ministry of Physical Planning on the nuisance being caused by these churches, the distortion in the master plan and the flagrant conversion of residential buildings and plots to places of worship. These government agencies visited the estate several times and on 8 May 2017 sealed all the churches.
On 21 May 2017 our residents were held hostage for over 2 hours by the 3 RCCG Pastors and their members led by one Pastor Joda. They blocked the ONLY estate entrance with a vehicle “to teach residents a lesson” because they and their members were denied entrance to the estate as their churches had been sealed. The RCCG members then forcefully entered the estate, BROKE the seal placed on their premises by Lagos State and worshipped in the sealed premises.
Today, 28 May 2017, entrance has again been denied the church members as they have no reason to enter because their premises is still under seal. Instead of dispersing, the RCCG churches are holding their services at the estate entrance thereby constituting a nuisance. They have also parked their cars all over Osborne Road. Police and tow trucks are currently on standby to take action. A breakdown in law and order is imminent.
The association’s reasons for upholding the master plan are simple:
1. Security – high influx of strangers into the estate on the pretext of attending the churches. The human traffic means 99% of those coming into the estate are NOT residents.
2. A small estate of 100 families has THREE RCCG churches. Average attendance at services is 150 per church = 450, more than TRIPLE the residents. These services are also held on at least 3 different days a week. You can imagine the disruption and inconvenience this causes residents, especially the indiscriminate parking.
3. An orthodox church has almost obtained approval from build a church on over 5200m2 with parking for 200 cars.
4. The impact of the human and vehicular traffic on estate infrastructure cannot be quantified.
It is instructive to note that NONE of the churches currently have planning approval. The association is not fighting any church. The fact that the Chairman is a Muslim is irrelevant. All we want is compliance with the master plan.
Below are pictures of the RCCG churches holding their services at the estate entrance at 09.02am Sunday 28 May 2017.
The association will continue to petition Lagos State and also engage the Christian Association of Nigeria to ensure compliance with the laws of the land.
Bunmi Ibraheem
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