The Oyo State Government has sealed a new-generation church located in Golden Estate, Oluyole, Ibadan, the state capital.
The church was closed by the state government due to concerns about noise pollution
The closure was directed at a branch of Christ Life Church in the region, following numerous unsuccessful attempts by the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources to mediate between the complainants, residents, and the church management
The Commissioner for Environment and Natural Resources, Architect Abdulmojeed Mogbonjubola, stated this on Friday.
He added that the state government had no choice but to seal the church premises to prevent avoidable tensions between residents and the church on Sunday.
He stated that officials of the ministry upon receiving numerous complaints from neighboring residents regarding constant noise through official letters and phone calls, visited the area on Thursday, 9th November 2023.
He maintained that the team recorded the sound levels of the church activities at intervals, starting from praise and worship, with an average reading of 74 decibels.
He stated that the church’s actions violated the existing Environmental Regulations of 2023, Section 58, Paragraph (b), which stipulates that noise limits for residential areas during the daytime should not exceed 65 decibels.
He highlighted that a resolution meeting took place among the parties in the ministry’s conference room on 29th November 2023. During the meeting, the church declined to sign the undertaking letter, citing the need to obtain approval from its headquarters and commit to reporting back on Monday, 4th December 2023
He stressed that the state government chose to close the church due to its persistent disobedience to the regulations.
Kanyi Daily recalls that the Oyo State Government had verified the presence of explosions in Ibadan on Tuesday night.