“Built 48 Years Ago”: Lagos Demolishes a Celestial Church and a Community With Seven Days’ Notice

• Lagos authorities demolished a 48-year-old Celestial Church of Christ parish in Otumara
• Homes, shops and businesses in the community were also pulled down
• Residents said they had only seven days’ notice
• The state building agency called the structures illegal and a hideout for criminals

A 48-year-old Celestial Church of Christ parish, Ile-Anu Oluwa, was demolished along with homes and shops in the Otumara community of Lagos Mainland in March 2025, the Nigerian Tribune reported on March 14, 2025.

The Lagos State Building Control Agency said the structures were illegal and had “consistently become hideout for miscreants, who used them for illicit activities.” Residents said they received only seven days’ notice before the bulldozers arrived, and the demolition affected thousands of people.

“This church was built 48 years ago and here we are witnessing its demolition, isn’t that cruel?” said Mayowa, the church secretary. Community stakeholders rejected the claim that the area harboured criminals. “There is no law that says that a community should be demolished on mere speculation,” one resident said. No compensation package had been announced.

The Tribune noted that Lagos faces a housing deficit of more than 3.3 million units, which made the loss of homes in Otumara all the more severe.

A church that has stood for almost half a century can still be vulnerable if its paperwork does not match its history. In Jamaica, many congregations occupy land they have used for decades without formal title or approvals, sometimes in communities that later become targets for redevelopment. The Otumara demolition shows why length of occupation is not enough. Registered title, approved building plans and good relations with planning authorities are the protections that count when officials decide a site must be cleared.

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