A Cherubim and Seraphim Church, Irapada Kristi, located on Eleye Street in Akure, Ondo State, has been destroyed by a midnight fire, with property worth millions of naira lost in the incident.
The fire reportedly started at about 2:00 a.m. on Wednesday, causing panic among residents as the flames quickly spread through the church building.
Witnesses said the fire appeared to have started from the centre of the church before spreading to other parts of the building and eventually destroying the entire structure.
Residents rushed out of their homes and tried to put out the fire using buckets of water in an effort to stop it from spreading, but they were unable to control the flames.
One of the witnesses said, “People living in the area came out, pouring buckets of water to quench the fire, but the efforts were futile because the fire had gone beyond control.”
The prophetess in charge of the church, popularly known as ‘Iya Ewe,’ said she was still unable to determine the cause of the fire.
According to her, she left the church on Sunday night and did not leave behind any naked flame that could have caused the incident.
She also dismissed the possibility of an electrical fault, explaining that the church’s electrical installations had been used for years without any previous issues.
The church leader lamented the destruction caused by the fire, saying property worth millions of naira had been lost.
However, she suggested that the fire might have been deliberately started.
The prophetess alleged that the way the fire spread indicated that the building could have been set ablaze with a highly flammable substance such as petrol.
The exact cause of the fire was still unknown as of the time this report was filed.
