The General Overseer of Christ Embassy Church, Pastor Chris Oyakhilome, has spoken out about the fire outbreak that gutted the church’s building in Oregun, Ikeja, Lagos.

Recall that the Loveworld Convocation Arena (LCA), formerly the headquarters of Christ Embassy Church, was gutted by fire on Sunday morning.

In a message to his congregation, Pastor Chris, President of the Loveworld Nation disclosed at the ongoing International Cell Leaders Conference (ICLC) Sunday Service at the Church Camp Grounds in Asese, along the Lagos-Ibadan expressway, that the building is one of the best worship facilities.

“That’s the best worship facility, frankly, in this part of the world. It’s worth multiple millions of dollars,” he said.

Pastor Chris called on the Secretary General of Loveworld, Kay Adesina, to share his eyewitness account of the incident.

Adesina said: “It’s really, really messed up. We were not able to enter, but we could see from outside. I took some of the pictures. The whole of the interior was coated in fire. And everywhere inside actually collapsed, including the offices.”

He also noted that the fire services tried to put out the fire from outside, as they couldn’t enter the building.

“The fire services that were there, they saw that they couldn’t go in. So they tried to put out the fire from outside. But all, including the external wall, you see, all the walls are compromised.

“But the only reason why the whole structure is not compromised is because they are steel structures. Otherwise, you would think that the whole building would collapse. So it’s really in a bad state,” the Secretary said.

Pastor Chris however emphasized that the church is not defeated and will build an even more beautiful structure.

“We will build a beautiful one, let the devil licks his wounds. We must look at life from the spiritual.

“It is painful to watch such a thing happen. The place is filled with fire and smoke, they can’t even go inside.

“When a thing like that happens, you can say, oh Lord, why? You say, Lord, Thank you for your Grace from those very grounds,” he said.

The general overseer also referenced a past experience where the church faced a similar challenge, the Ikebukuro attack, and how they overcame it.

“I’ll never forget, when the supposed bombings took place at the Ikebukuro attack, they thought it was war.

“There were explosions at Ikebukuro, atomic. The sounds were so loud, the explosions were so loud. Many thought there was war. And they began to flee from all that area,” he recounted.

When asked if he was surprised by the fire outbreak, Pastor Chris said, “Not, not even the slightest surprise, not even the slightest surprise. But that’s another day’s talk.

“When something like this happens, we have to remember that we are not of this world.

“What do I mean by that? Every single day, God protects us. He protects us, He protects everything that He gives us, with His glory and His grace, every single day. He protects us.”

The cause of the fire remains unknown, but officials from the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service are currently investigating the incident. Despite the physical damage, Pastor Chris and the Christ Embassy Church are determined to rebuild and continue their mission.

A student of the Air Force Comprehensive School, Kaduna, Blaise Felix Aliyu, has died.

The student was punished to death by two of his senior colleagues.

Aliyu, an orphan, who lost his parents in 2013, is said to be survived by his twin brother, who is also a student at the military boarding school, located in Mando, Kaduna.

Two SS3 students reportedly summoned the 15-year-old to their room under the pretext of punishing him but ended up killing him.

The deceased body has been deposited in the mortuary.

Reacting to the development, Air Vice Marshal Edward Gabkwet, spokesperson for the Nigerian Airforce (NAF), expressed the institution’s sorrow.

In a statement issued on Saturday, Gabkwet said an investigation to unravel the circumstances surrounding the incident is ongoing.

“The Chief of the Air Staff, Air Marshal Hasan Abubakar, and indeed the entire NAF family are saddened by the painful and unfortunate incident of the untimely death of one of our students at Air Force Secondary School, Kaduna, on June 19, 2024.”

“To avoid all sorts of speculations, a thorough investigation is currently ongoing to unravel how, why, and what actually led to the death of the victim. Rest assured that this matter is receiving the utmost urgency it deserves, and we won’t rest until it is unravelled,” the statement said.

An inferno has engulfed the headquarters of Christ Embassy Church located in Oregun area of Ikeja, Lagos State.

An eye witness confirmed this to Channels Television. Multiple videos on X have also shown the massive edifice being destroyed by fire.

The fire which broke out early hours of Sunday caused a significant damage to the church property, sending shock waves throughout the immediate community and beyond.

Officials of the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service are also said to have arrived at the scene to try and put out the fire.

The area has been cordoned-off  by the police to prevent a breakdown of law and order.

The church is headed by influential pastor, Chris Oyakhilome.

Stanley Okorie, the veteran Nollywood soundtrack composer and singer, has disclosed the reasons behind the failures of his first two marriages.

According to Okorie, his first wife divorced him because she found his songs “stupid.” He also admitted to being an “insensitive” husband.

The soundtrack composer shared his candid reflections during a chat with popular media personality Chude Jideonwo.

He said, “My first divorce was the most painful. You know, the first cut is always the deepest. I have my own share of blame. Most people, when they talk about their problems in a marriage or a relationship, are quick to highlight the other person’s faults. I’m not saying I was entirely at fault, but I was a very insensitive husband. I blame myself for that one.

“I wasn’t a caring husband. Sometimes, if my wife did her hair, I’d say, ‘I’m going to the studio, come ooo.’ No, that’s not nice. I wouldn’t remember her birthday because there was a time I was doing all the job [Nollywood soundtracks], and people would call me from London, pay for my ticket, and I would go and do the music. I thought providing for the family was enough. But sometimes, the first rule of love is presence. You can give all the money, but the first rule of love is presence.

“My first wife wasn’t after money. Sometimes, when I gave her money, I’d return to find the money on the table. I was very busy with music, going from studio to studio. So when I look back, I see that’s the cost. Everything comes at a cost. Economists call it opportunity cost. In my first marriage, I was very, very insensitive. If I had been more mature—of course, I married very young—I wondered why she wasn’t seeing all the work I was doing. I failed on that score.

“The first day she looked at me and said, ‘I can’t take this anymore,’ I knew she was telling the truth, so I didn’t want to argue. Instead of going to beg her, I was singing stupid songs to console myself.

“After that, I went through a second divorce. At some point, my wife died. My son died. Some of the songs I sing were my escape from my sad reality, and they helped me deal with it to some level. But I tell you, there’s no method of dealing with a problem better than confronting the problem. So music wasn’t fair to me on that score. I was using it as an escape instead of confronting my problems. Some things that delight you today will, at some point, hurt. So that’s how it’s been a blessing and a curse. But I’m happy now where I am. I’m happily married with kids, doing well, and still recording music.”