The ongoing candle night service for the late founder of Synagogue Church Of All Nations (SCOAN), Temitope Joshua popularly called T.B Joshua was reported to have been halted after a mysterious fire gutted a section of the church, forcing members to abandon the service for safety.
The fire started at about 11:30 pm, minutes after the all-night service commenced in honour of the deceased cleric at the church headquarters in Ikotun axis of Lagos State.
Sources said that the fire that had affected a major section of the church sited on a large expanse of land, was caused by an electric spark from an appliance used in one of the buildings within the premises.
Eyewitnesses narrated that the fire started after hundreds of members, that had thronged the church premises to participate in the service, returned from the SCOAN mountain where they lighted candles to honour the late pastor.
The event which marked the commencement of weeklong events to celebrate the life and times of the former pastor was stopped as well as the live broadcast on the church Television, Emmanuel TV, was also paused after members began to scamper for safety.
It was observed by our correspondent that the station, after the pause, shifted focused to tributes and other deliverance services performed before T.B Joshua passed on.
Confirming the fire disaster, the General Manager of the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA), Dr. Femi Oke-Osanyintolu, and Director of the state fire service, Margret Adeseye, told newsmen that emergency officials were currently battling to put out the fire.
They noted that the efforts of the fire service officials from Ikotun fire station and other emergency officials were to ensure that the inferno does not spread to other property within the church premise.
