Authorities in Lagos have shut down churches across the city after a glut of complaints over noisy worship.
The environmental protection department said it had sealed off 22 premises on Wednesday after receiving dozens of calls a day, according to local newspaper reports.
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.
"On my phone alone, I get 20 SMS on a daily basis," said Adebola Shabi, head of the Lagos State Environmental Protection Agency, according to the national daily New Telegraph.
"In the next five years, if there is no stringent policy on the siting of religious houses, there will be problem."
Residents are complaining in unprecedented numbers that they can barely hear themselves think among churches and mosques where giant loudspeakers pump out religious messages and music.
Officials receive around 50 telephone calls and 20 text messages a day complaining about noise, mostly from churches, the New Telegraph said.
"With the enforcement today, we would have sealed about 55 premises because the last enforcement we carried out, we shut 33 premises," Shabi told reporters.
"I gave approval for closure of 22 premises today, making 55."
-Yahoo News
But wait oh,couldnt they have sent a written warning to the churches first?Na wah,things are just getting more complicated.Should i be happy that churches of worship have been shut down?
*Hissss*
Wat rubblish,who gave them d rite to shut down churches
ReplyDeleteNaah boy! I'm a born again Christian but I'm in support of this action.. I've seen churches that have regular flats with residents next to them start worship at 9am n finish at 4pm, to start vigil at 10pm to 5am.. nah mahn that's so unfair..
DeleteIt's good na. Shebi una want Christian Governor. Here you are.
DeleteMakes all the sense in the world. I am also christians..but there is no control on where churches are held anymore. I used to live in a relatively quiet neighborhood till a church was established 2 houses down..in a RESiDENTIAL NEIGHBORHOOD!!!! People work all week and have to wake up early every day..meaning Friday is the only time they can sleep in...but that Friday night is when the do vigil with loud praise and worship despite the neighborhood. So there goes your Friday sleep. Before u wake up on Sunday church has already started..same thing..so there goes your Saturday sleep. And Monday you are back to work. Is that a life? It's unfair for these places of worship to be established right in the middle of the neighborhood and blare their speakers with no regard for people who pay a lot of money to live in their neighborhoods. The worst are those early morning preachers who go around making noise at 5am waking people up..and u try to caution them..they fight you.
DeleteWho is dis fucking idiot talking about Christian governor? Is it. Written anywhere that only muslims should rule a state? I'd rather be ruled by a Hindu priest than u murderous bitches
DeleteStella if you knw the way some churches disturb you'd be happy.
ReplyDeleteWent to spend one weekend with a friend. There's a church opposite her house and one by the side. Unfortunately both had vigil same night. One is an English speaking church and the other ECWA speaks one language I don't know,the mixture of English and that language can make someone deaf. That night was terrible.
DeleteStella you don't want to stay close to a church na you go report them.
Some churches have members that come to church everyday of the week to either drum or sing.
Churches or mosques ain't supposed to be disturbing d neighborhood. ...come to my smalll street...it has 3 churches and one mosque wit each mounting dia loud and noisy speakers. .....wat for?
Deleteare d speakers for God to hear em? Or to cause nuisance
Churches or mosques ain't supposed to be disturbing d neighborhood. ...come to my smalll street...it has 3 churches and one mosque wit each mounting dia loud and noisy speakers. .....wat for?
Deleteare d speakers for God to hear em? Or to cause nuisance
Good one from the government. Religion is personal, stop disturbing the whole community with Your faith forcing it into our throats with loud speakers
ReplyDeleteYour comment will be visible after approval
Yea I agree wit dis
ReplyDeleteAbeg it's good stella. U av to see d kind of noises these churches make.
ReplyDeleteImagine!
ReplyDeleteI have a mosque right inside my estate very close to my house and they are on almost 24 hours. what should be done about the mosques in lagos state ? why is none being shut down. Why cant we just tolerate our selves. With recent happenings around the world includinginigeria, it would be in vain to believe or imagine there is no God . Cautioning the affect churches would have been more appropriate.
ReplyDeleteMosque are on almost 24hrs what?
Delete*Larry was here*
The mosques close to my house has given me BP. This last fasting, thay had a camp and held all night with speakers in the highest volume. My dear each morning I wake up in tears with swollen face to work. They are just not considerate.
DeleteU would be happy stella if the loudspeaker of one of the church is facing ur room window and u cant sleep. I wish they can come down to my side and shut dis one beside my House that evry nyt one cant sleep with their loudspeakers.
ReplyDeleteThe one close to my house is the headquarter of noise on its own.
ReplyDeleteEven when they are not having any service,one or two people will just come and start beating band with no care. But na God work na so we no dey complain.
Shutting the churches down is not the wisest thing to do either.
No stella don't be, becz u dnt knw wat it is lyk to hv a church beside ur house dt does night vigil everyday.
ReplyDeleteSome churches and mosque deserves to be closed down.
ReplyDeleteTheir noise is 2 much.
I don't know what happened to praying to God without disturbing other people.
Nawa oo..but the noise is increasing by day sha, i guess that was why the authorities acted..
ReplyDeletei also read more details here: www.knbnaija.com
Stella please I need their number so I can call this agency,there's a church & bakery both beside our house,we don't always have peace noise 24hrs,our house is having cracking already due to the weight of the machine from the bakery,when it starts the house begins to shake.....please come to our aid this environmental agencies b4 the house finally collapses one day
ReplyDeleteMake them fear God o
ReplyDeleteVery well they should be monitored not closed down
ReplyDeletePls there is a redeem church at sholuyi, gbagada along popoola street that needs to be shut down too, dey can disturb for Africa. Pls what number can one report them 2?
ReplyDeleteOnly churches shut?Why not mosques after all they Are all in the business of noisemaking
ReplyDeleteI so happy with this news. Churches don't understand environmental pollution (noise ) is very dangerous to human health.
ReplyDeleteMake why.
ReplyDeleteWhy can't we tolerate one another.
Not my biz.
Am out already.
@Stella pls come back to NG. In d country where you reside everything is done properly while you will support any how behaviour in NG.
ReplyDeleteWelldone Sir, pple are going craze here everyday cos of noise pollution.
ReplyDeleteWhat of all the mosque in this lagos?
ReplyDeleteAlloy your comment is just funny to me. Lol
ReplyDeleteStella i couldnt sleep last nite because a church in d neighbourhood had tally nite n were beating their drums n whatever musical instrument they have, my haed was aching seriously dat i had to take pain killer. Not dat i support d closure of d churches, but there shld b rules guiding the siting of churches, period.
ReplyDeleteMy thoughts exactly, its like Mosques are getting preferential treatment over churches.
ReplyDeleteMost mosques use loud speakers, not just for the 'call to worship' (which is less than 5mins, which we should try to tolerate) but they go on using it for sermons and even thanksgiving.
In my Opinion LASEPA still has a lot of monitoring to do on all religious houses.
And the mosques that do not allow one to sleep every single day, nko. Can they worshippers not set alarm to go and pray? Do they need to be disturbing everyone around calling them to prayer?
ReplyDeleteChurches are not above the law. If the law. God is not deaf. There are laws and by laws regulating public noise. These churches have no regard for the wellbeing of Nigerian citizens. Why should people suffer daily because cchurches want to make money? Please!!!! God I erwhere. He judges a man by the content of his heart and by his actions. NOT by how loud he screams in the church! I seriously applaud the Governor of Lagos State. He should take on the Mosques as well as any other noise making entities.
ReplyDeleteTo say am highly dissappointed in ur comment Stella is an understatement!
ReplyDeleteYou live abroad .. Right?! And you see the way a country is supposed to be run ... Right?!
Pls pocket your "touch not my annointed" opinion!!
Kudos to the Givetnment!!!!
Why you dey shout?
DeleteThe noise of some churches on the street is something else. They should have inbuilt speaker that way they won't disturb the neighbours
ReplyDeleteFinally, they acted. seriously, the kind of noise some churches generates ehn... that's how I was at home on a week day studying for my exams and my neighbours refused to allow me enjoy peace. na so dem do fellowship from morning till like 3pm, I was like...oh my God, rapture me already!
ReplyDelete