Arsonists burn worship centre in Osun

Osogbo – (NAN) Unidentified arsonists, Thursday,  set a worship  centre on fire at Alekuwodo area of Osogbo,Osun.
The News Agency of  Nigeria (NAN) reports that a  crowd milled around the razed structure which was still emitting smoke as at 11:30 a.m.   NAN also gathered from neighbours in the vicinity that the building  was a worship centre where some  important personalities were said to meet and  worship at odd times.

It was learnt that each time there was a worship session, exotic vehicles were usually parked in the premises by highly placed members of the public.

“The presence of the worship centre  has always been the talk of the town,  more so that it is unlike the conventional worship centres which are open to all and sundry.

“One of the strange things about the place  is that it has no front door as the adherents enter through the back door as if it is a cult,”  a resident, who lives  close to the centre,   told NAN.

The resident, who refused to disclose his name, said  the anxiety of  members of the public about the worship centre may have led to the burning of the structure.

But Mr Olatunji Oladele, the state’s  Chairman of the  Trade Union Congress (TUC), dissociated legitimate protesters from the incident saying: “They are not connected.

“We have carried out our investigation and we discovered that the building was razed following the anger of the people in the area at  the activities of the worship centre.

“ I am sure that the arsonists are not the protesting youths in our fold here because we have no axe to grind with the worship centre at all,” he said.

Mr Olusegun Solomon, the state’s  Commissioner of Police,  told NAN that he had been fully briefed and men of his command were doing their best to control the situation.

“Our men have been there since late yesterday when we heard that some aggrieved youths gathered at the premises to set the worship centre  on fire.

“However,  as early as 7a.m. this morning, more than  6,000  angry youths reappeared there and the police tried their best to prevent them,  but they had their way.

“This is because we were trying to prevent them in a civil manner without any attempt to shoot and kill people,” he added.

Asked if the incident had a connection with the ongoing strike, the commissioner explained that although there was no direct link,  it was a fall out of the strike.

Solomon told NAN that while the police remained at the scene to restore sanity,  some members of the worship centre  had  been arrested for interrogation.

As at the time of filing this report, officials of the State Fire Service had  not reported at the scene of the incident to put out the fire.