Prayer City: Mountain Of Fire Ministries Bars Residents, Women In Trousers From Passing Through The Camp Ground

The Mountain of Fire and Miracles Ministries has barred residents of host communities from passing through its Prayer City and also women in trousers who have business in the Prayer City, located at Magboro on the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, Ogun State, have been barred from passing through the camp ground., Punch Nigeria reports...
According to report, the communities reported that on May 10, the church blocked the access road to Magboro, Magada, Makogi, Abule Odo and Unity Estate without consultation with them. The protest which lead to the intervention of Ibafo Police Division on May 17,promising that the issues involved would be resolved.

  The Divisional Police Officer, Mr. Jimoh Salawu, in appealing to the residents, called for a meeting of the representatives of the Community Development Associations in the area, where he asked the communities to write a letter outlining their demands. Salawu had promised that the church would attend to the demands of the residents, chief of which was the re-opening of the blocked access road instead of relocating the ‘road’ to a waterlogged area, which has become a nightmare with the increasing rainfall.

Three weeks after the DPO’s intervention, the church barred the residents from passing through its estate, which is the only access road to link the expressway. Three weeks after the DPO’s intervention, the church barred the residents from passing through its estate, which is the only access road to link the expressway.

 When Punch Nigeria contacted, the Assembly pastor of the church, identified simply as Pastor Irabor, he said,
“You are from where? Who sent you? Tell Punch I have no comment. God bless you.”

However, the Security Head of the church, who gave his name only as Mr. Lanre, told our correspondent that the road in question was not an access route for the public, adding that security challenges informed the barricade.

 “The so-called access road is illegal. It is part of the church property. If we decided to block it, I don’t think that is business of anybody. Can you claim what does not belong to you? They (communities) even went ahead to stage an informal protest. Attacks on public places in the country have made it mandatory for organisations to beef up their security.
 “We are not under compulsion to share our property with the communities. Regarding your question on the social benefits the neighbouring residents derive from the church, I can’t comment on that. But there are records of what we have done for them,” he said. Commenting on the women on trousers, Lanre said the dress was inconsistent with the doctrine of the church.
He said, “Such women will be barred from taking the road on the camp that links to the expressway.”