Stop destroying church buildings, Deeper Life tackles Lagos

The Deeper Life Bible Church has condemned the alleged demolition of its properties in various parts of Lagos State by government agencies.

The church, in a statement signed by its legal representatives, Nojim Tairu & Co., on Thursday, accused the agencies of targeting its properties for demolition without due process.

It described such an action as unjust and systematic harassment.

The church said its branches in Yaba, Olorunishola, and Lawanson were demolished by the Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority, Lagos State Building Control Agency, and the Surulere Local Government respectively.

The statement read, “Deeper Life Bible Church, a longstanding pillar of faith and community service providers with branches in different parts of Lagos State and beyond, strongly condemns the ongoing unjust and unwarranted actions by the Lagos State Government and its agencies, which have systematically targeted some of the church’s properties and locations.

“Over the past months, our church has faced an alarming pattern of hostility from certain state agencies, leading to undue harassment, demolition threats, and unwarranted restrictions placed upon our places of worship and community centres.”

The church said the aggressive actions violated the fundamental rights of the faith community and set a dangerous precedent that undermined religious freedom, property rights, and justice in the state.

It called on Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu to urgently investigate the development, adding that the religious body had always been committed to upholding the laws of the land and maintaining peace and unity among all communities.

The church also appealed to citizens, religious groups, human rights advocates, and the international community to stand in solidarity with it in the face of what it termed religious oppression and property rights violations.

“As a church dedicated to uplifting society through spiritual guidance, humanitarian efforts, and social empowerment, we will not relent in our commitment to peace, justice, and truth.

“We refuse to be intimidated or silenced by unjust actions.

“We are prepared to pursue all necessary legal avenues to defend our rights and ensure that Deeper Life Bible Church remains a sanctuary of hope and faith for all,” the statement added.

When contacted, the Commissioner for Information, Gbenga Omotoso, said the government had no animosity towards the Deeper Life Church.

He said, “The government of Lagos State, under Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has nothing against Deeper Life. They are our friends, and we are close to them, so we cannot do anything that will jeopardise their interest.

We all know what LAMATA does. They are the ones in charge of rail lines, and once they demolish a place to accommodate rail lines, they pay compensation.

“I’m aware of the Deeper Life matter, and that was the one demolished by a local government, and that is a local matter.”

Omotoso said the incident was being investigated by the government, expressing that it was unfortunate that it happened.

“We have a couple of people from the church who made similar complaints, and I took up the matter and asked the SA to the Governor on Religious Matters (Christian) to intervene, and he opened the discussion with them.

“All I can say is that the government has nothing against Deeper Life. Governor Sanwo-Olu has run Lagos without any discrimination whatsoever.

“Unfortunately, this happened, but the government is investigating it,” he said.