A fire broke out Friday night at a Christ Apostolic Church parish in Ibadan, Oyo State, raising concerns that several worshippers may have been trapped inside.
The incident occurred around 9:30 pm at Wisdom Estate, Road 1G, Olohunda Road, in the Lagelu Local Government Area, according to sources who spoke to PUNCH Online on Saturday morning.
Witnesses reported that the church was holding a Friday vigil service when the fire erupted.
“It happened around 9:30 pm at night,” recounted one source. “I believe they were having a Friday vigil service. Some worshippers had already fallen asleep to rest before the service began when the fire broke out.”
Another source described a frightening scene: “There was a very old woman who could barely move. She was still inside the church when the fire was raging fiercely.”
A church member, who wished to remain anonymous, said, “There were people still inside the church during the fire. I’ll get back to you with more information later.”
The exact cause of the fire is unknown at this time.
The Oyo State Fire Services General Manager, Akinyemi Akinyinka, confirmed the incident. “Our firefighters responded based on information from a resident named Kunle Junaid,” he said. Akinyinka promised to provide further updates as they become available.