A Cherubim and Seraphim Church, Irapada Kristi, located on Eleye Street in Akure, Ondo State, has been destroyed by a midnight fire, with property worth millions of naira reportedly lost in the inferno.
Naija News learnt that the fire reportedly broke out at about 2am on Wednesday, throwing residents of the area into panic as flames quickly spread through the church building.
According to Daily Trust, witnesses said the fire appeared to have started from the centre of the church before rapidly spreading to other parts of the building and eventually consuming the entire structure.
As the fire raged, residents reportedly rushed out of their homes and made frantic efforts to put out the flames.
The residents used buckets of water in an attempt to prevent the fire from spreading further, but their efforts could not stop the inferno.
One of the witnesses said the fire had already become too intense by the time residents began trying to put it out.
“People living in the area came out, pouring buckets of water to quench the fire, but the efforts were futile because the fire had gone beyond control,” the witness said.
The prophetess in charge of the church, popularly known as ‘Iya Ewe’, reportedly said she was still unable to determine what caused the fire.
According to her, she left the church on Sunday night and did not leave any naked flame behind that could have triggered the incident.
She also ruled out an electrical fault, explaining that the electrical installations in the church had been in use for years without any previous problem.
The church leader lamented the extent of the damage caused by the fire, saying valuable property worth millions of naira had been destroyed.
However, she raised the possibility that the fire might have been deliberately started.
The prophetess alleged that the pattern of the fire suggested that the building could have been set ablaze using a highly flammable substance such as petrol.
The cause of the fire remained unclear as of the time of filing this report.
