Prayer City: MFM Bars Residents,women In Trousers

Mountain of Fire and Miracles
Ministries has barred residents of
host communities from passing
through its Prayer City in Magboro.
The development has dimmed the
hope of residents of the no fewer
than 17 communities, whose access
road was recently blocked, that the
church may reopen the road.
Also, women in trousers, who have
other business in the Prayer City,
located at Magboro on the Lagos-
Ibadan Expressway, Ogun State,
have been barred from passing
through the camp ground.
The MFM had on Saturday, May 10,
blocked the access road to
Magboro, Magada, Makogi, Abule
Odo and Unity Estate among other
communities, a move the residents
claimed was not only surprising, but
was done without consultation with
them.
The Ibafo Police Division had
intervened in a planned protest by
the residents on May 17, promising
that the issues involved would be
resolved.
The Divisional Police Officer, Mr.
Jimoh Salawu, in appealing to the
residents, called for a meeting of the
representatives of the Community
Development Associations in the
area, where he asked the
communities to write a letter
outlining their demands.
Salawu had promised that the
church would attend to the
demands of the residents, chief of
which was the re-opening of the
blocked access road instead of
relocating the ‘road’ to a
waterlogged area, which has
become a nightmare with the
increasing rainfall.
Three weeks after the DPO’s
intervention, the church barred the
residents from passing through its
estate, which is the only access road
to link the expressway.
Operatives of the new security outfit,
which the church engaged, on
Saturday informed the residents,
especially the motorists among
them, that starting from Monday this
week, they would no longer be
allowed to pass through the camp
ground.
While the new security operatives
said the order came from the
“church management”, one of the
old security officers claimed that the
house owners in the church estate,
where the road passes through,
took the decision not to allow the
residents of adjoining areas to pass
through the camp ground.
“The new guys don’t understand
what is going on here. The people
living in the estate said they don’t
want anyone to pass through this
area. That is why they have locked all
the gates so that there will only be
one road for resident of this estate;
not for outsiders,” said the security
man, who would not want his name
in print.
Meanwhile, the church has started a
“strict enforcement” of its law
against women putting on trousers
and passing through the camp
ground.
Some women, who were on their
way to the Ecobank in the Prayer City
on Monday recounted their
experiences in the hands of the
security men at the main gate of the
camp.
They wondered why the church
must “embarrass” women, who
were on their way to a “bank and
not the church auditorium.”
One of them, who spoke to our
correspondent on condition of
anonymity on Monday, said, “See
the loose trousers that I’m putting
on. How does this offend anybody?
You can imagine the
embarrassment that I was subjected
to at the gate on my way here
(bank).
“They asked why I must wear
trousers to this place, as if I said I
was going to the church auditorium.
At least, they should have waited till I
want to enter the church.”
When contacted, the Assembly
pastor of the church, identified
simply as Pastor Irabor said, “You
are from where? Who sent you? Tell
PUNCH I have no comment. God
bless you.”
However, the Security Head of the
church, who gave his name only as
Mr. Lanre, told our correspondent
that the road in question was not an
access route for the public, adding
that security challenges informed the
barricade.
“The so-called access road is illegal.
It is part of the church property. If
we decided to block it, I don’t think
that is business of anybody. Can you
claim what does not belong to you?
They (communities) even went
ahead to stage an informal protest.
Attacks on public places in the
country have made it mandatory for
organisations to beef up their
security.
“We are not under compulsion to
share our property with the
communities. Regarding your
question on the social benefits the
neighbouring residents derive from
the church, I can’t comment on that.
But there are records of what we
have done for them,” he said.
Commenting on the women on
trousers, Lanre said the dress was
inconsistent with the doctrine of the
church.
He said, “Such women will be
barred from taking the road on the
camp that links to the expressway.”