3,000 Donated Blocks Crushed: Abuja Officials Demolish a Church School Under Construction

• Abuja development control officials demolished a school building under construction at Living Faith Church, Lifecamp
• The site engineer said more than 3,000 blocks donated by members were destroyed
• The pastor said the land documents were intact and approval had been given
• Officials said notices had been served since 2014 and a barricade blocked a public road

A development control team backed by soldiers and police demolished a school building under construction at Living Faith Church in Lifecamp, Abuja, Nigeria’s Daily Trust reported on June 12, 2015.

Site engineer Taiwo Ogundele said the church received no warning. “We have over 3,000 blocks donated by members for building and they used their pay loader machine to destroy the blocks,” he said. Pastor Gideon Oyedepo said “the documents of the land are intact and approval was given for the commencement of the project.”

Kalu Emetu, public relations officer of the Development Control Department, said the pastor had been served notices since 2014 to stop illegal construction. He said a barricade erected by the church blocked public access and that when officials arrived, the pastor “refused to open the barricade”. The department said the pastor failed to produce the required approvals and had built other unauthorised structures, including a swimming pool.

The dispute came down to whether the church’s paperwork covered what it was building and where.

Building without the right approvals, or beyond what the approvals allow, is a common problem for growing churches, including in Jamaica, where parish councils have warned congregations about unapproved construction. Members’ donated blocks and labour can be lost if the authorities decide a structure must go. Before starting a school, hall or extension, a Jamaican church should get building approval for the specific plans, keep copies on site and make sure nothing obstructs public roads or access.