Christian faithful in many states across the country yesterday attended services in churches despite ban to stem the spread of Covid-19.
The situation was the same on Friday as hundreds of mosques in the states across the country hosted Muslim faithful for the weekly religious congregation.
Both on Friday and yesterday, clerics urged their followers to intensify prayers; with some of them saying it was not necessary to ban people from coming together to worship.
There was influx of people to churches in Kogi, Ogun, Ebonyi, Kaduna, Plateau, Imo, Akwa Ibom, Benue, Niger, Abia and Nasarawa among others.
Our correspondents who monitored church services across the country yesterday report that it was only in few states that worshippers observed the weekly mass at home as hundreds of thousands of faithful thronged to churches.
Abuja estates, mosques issue advisory
Some estates and mosques in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) have issued advisory in respect of the way towards containing the deadly Covid-19 pandemic.
There were stories early yesterday that one of the suspected Covid-19 cases found in Abuja was from Taslee Palm City Estate, Maitama.
But the chairman of the residents association of the estate, Abdul Shuaibu, said there was no case of Covid-19 in the estate despite claimed that somebody living in the area was evacuated by officials of NCDC.
On a visit to the estate, Daily Trust observed that the atmosphere was calm while security guards at the entrance to the estate on Uruguay Street were applying sanitizers on the hands of people before gaining access.
“That story is a complete falsehood. We did a letter in the estate to tell people that they should adopt preventive measures… We sent the letter but somewhere I just saw a different letter being posted on the internet. That was not what we wrote, somebody changed everything we wrote,” he said, insisting that the patient was not from their estate. But other sources said the latest rebuttal from the estate was aimed at reducing the tension.
Officials of the Al- Noor Mosque located at Wuse 11 in Abuja said only call to prayers would be consistent in the mosque, while worshippers were expected to pray at home.
A statement by the Director-General of the mosque, Kabir Kabo Usman, said senior management team and mosque advisory committee, decided to close the building until further notice.
“It is only the Muazzin/Ladan that will call the prayer and lock the mosque just to remind people the time for prayer but not to pray in the mosque,” the statement said.
However, the National Mosque, which is located at the Central Business District of the FCT remains accessible to worshippers.
Daily Trust reporter who monitored the faithful observed the Asr prayer saw over 200 people in the main bowl of the mosque with at least 70 people on each row.
Also within the mosque premises, petty traders displayed their wares for sale even though security men were spotted putting sanitizers in the palm of people.
FCT churches
Churches around the FCT have also defied the restriction order by the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) issued early on Saturday, which enjoined worship centres not to congregate more than 50 worshippers at a time.
Daily Trust gathered that most of the churches in Nyanya, Karu, Asokoro, Wuse, Jabi, Utako, Airport Road, Abaji and Gwagwalada held services with more than 50 worshipers in attendance.
However, some of the churches put sanitizers at the entrances for worshipers to use before they entered the church premises.
The General Overseer of the Four Square Gospel Church, Asokoro, Pastor Daniel Chinoko, who spoke with one of our reporters, said the church received the directive for the restriction of service late and could not suspend the Sunday service.
At St. Peter’s Catholic Church in Abaji, our reporter observed that the worshippers exceeded the 50 persons as some worshippers were seen standing by the entrance of the church listening to the priest sermon.
A member of the church, Brother Aromeh Moses, told our reporter that measures had been put in place especially in relation to hand shake among church members.
Kogi: Worshippers ignore not more than 20 people order
Despite the social distance warnings over Covid-19, most churches in the state were full to capacity during congregational service yesterday.
Governor Yahaya Bello had on Friday banned public gathering of 20 persons and above. He also shut private and public school.
However, investigation in Lokoja showed many churches opened for normal congregational services with clerics mostly praying against the pandemic.
Services were held at Saint Andrew Catholic Church in Felele; Archangel Catholic Church on Ganaja road; Dominion Church at 200 Housing Unit; and Christ Apostolic Church. They all recorded large turnout of congregants.
Some of the worshippers who spoke to our correspondents believed that “only God has the power to prevent the virus from spreading,” while calling on Nigerians to put their trust in Him.
“The directive by the governments on this matter is very difficult to adhere to because the pandemic itself requires prayers to halt the spread and we have to do this in congregation and in God’s houses,” Emmanuel Adoke of the Christ Apostolic Church noted.
Ogun: Oyedepo leads prayer as task force storm churches
In Ogun State, the Presiding Bishop of the Living Faith Church Worldwide (aka Winners Chapel), David Oyedepo, yesterday, superintended over service at the church’s headquarters in Ota despite a directive by the state government banning high – density gathering.
Our correspondent learnt that thousands of congregants, who worshipped in the church auditorium, sang, danced and prayed against Covide-19, which is fast spreading in Nigeria.
Oyedepo delivered a message themed: ‘Winning the war against coronavirus,’ and went ahead to pray against the virus, saying the siege would soon be over.
However, in the state capital Abeokuta, a task force deployed by the state government stormed churches to enforce compliance on the ban of gatherings with over 50 people.
The team led by CSP Toyin Afolaogun, disrupted and dispersed worshippers in some of the churches for flouting the directive.
Some of the churches affected were the Winners Chapel, Quarry Road and St. Anne’s Catholic Church in Ibara.
Bayelsa, Osun, Lagos, Ondo record low turnout
Many churches in Yenagoa in Bayelsa State held services yesterday but the turnout was low.
Our correspondent reports that some Pentecostal churches that hitherto had large gathering encouraged House Fellowship.
A pastor in one of the Pentecostal churches said that they were mindful of the global effect of Covid-19 and will support government to curb it.
Compliance on suspension of religious activities in Lagos churches was high yesterday as most churches were under lock and key.
From Ojodu to Ikeja, Agege, Ogba, Alagbado, Iju, among others, church services did not hold.
Places of worship like Christ Living Spring Apostolic Ministry, Ojodu; Latter Rain Assembly, Akilo road Agege; RCCG Dominion Sanctuary, Ogba; Victoria Army Ministries, which were usually busy every Sunday with vehicles parked on all sides of the road were empty.
Our correspondent however learnt that some churches admitted few members for the Sunday’s service, which was carried out low-keyed.
It was observed that members who were more than the 20 specified by the state government for any gathering, were in churches like Praise Outreach Ministry, WEMCO road; RCCG Lagos Province 2 headquarters, Israel Assembly along Otunba Jobi Fele Way Alausa.
Some of the churches placed a ‘No Service’ sign on their entrance.
It was observed that policemen were also monitoring the city to ensure compliance with the order. Those found to be flouting the order were dispersed.
Similarly, many Islamic organisations, which usually hold weekly prayer gatherings suspended activities.
Petty traders who sell Islamic materials, apparels, household items and food still displayed their wares in front of Lagos State Secretariat Mosque (LSSM) but no worshipper was on ground for the weekly Asalatu (prayer) usually organised by NASFAT.
The mosque has been under lock and key since Friday after the ban on religious gathering was announced by the state government.
The Chairman and General Leader of C&S Movement Church, Kingsland District Headquarters, Special Apostle Abiodun Alogbo prayed that “God Almighty will help Humanity to overcome COVID-19.”
Though most churches in Akure in Ondo State did not adhere to the directive of closing their doors to more than 20 people. Findings yesterday revealed that most Christians shut themselves in their homes and did not go to Church.
However, both orthodox, Pentecostal and others churches opened to worshippers as early as 6am.
At the Catholic Cathedral along Oba Adesida road in Akure, where Rev. Fr. Dele Omotosho ministered, he seized the opportunity to educate the people on how to prevent themselves and their loved ones against the disease.
