A Cherubim and Seraphim Church, Irapada Kristi, located on Eleye Street in Akure, Ondo State, has been destroyed by a midnight fire that reportedly consumed properties worth millions of naira.
The incident happened around 2:00 a.m. on Wednesday when the fire started from the middle of the church building before spreading quickly across the premises.
Residents living around the area noticed the fire and rushed out to help put out the flames.
They made efforts to control the situation by using buckets of water, but the fire had already grown beyond what they could handle.
The blaze later completely destroyed the church building and several valuable items inside the worship centre.
The prophetess overseeing the church, popularly called Iya Ewe, said the cause of the fire was still unknown.
She explained that she left the church on Sunday night and did not leave behind any burning object that could have caused the incident.
She also dismissed the possibility of an electrical problem, saying the church’s wiring system had been used for years without any previous fault.
The church leader expressed sadness over the destruction, saying the fire caused heavy losses to the worship centre. She, however, suspected that the incident might have been caused by someone deliberately setting the building on fire, based on how the flames spread.
No death or injury was recorded from the incident, while efforts to get a response from the Ondo State Fire Service were unsuccessful.
