22 churches shut down over noisy worship in Lagos

22 churches have been shut down for noisy worship in Lagos state. The head of the Lagos State Environmental Protection Agency, Adebola Shabi, who disclosed this yesterday August 27th, said the agency shut down the churches following a series of complaints of disturbance by residents of the area where the churches are located.

"On my phone alone, I get 20 SMS on a daily basis. In the next five years, if there is no stringent policy on the siting of religious houses, there will be problem. With the enforcement today, we would have sealed about 55 premises because the last enforcement we carried out, we shut 33 premises. I gave approval for closure of 22 premises today, making 55"

Neighbours of one church, Jesus Our Lord Divine Catholic Prayer Ministry, said they were constantly disturbed by a congregation of mainly pregnant women, young mothers and their children. Shabi said the churches would be allowed to reopen after paying fines starting from N50,000.