Fire Guts Christ Embassy Main Auditorium on Sunday Morning

A significant fire outbreak occurred at the main auditorium of the Christ Embassy Church on Billings Way in the Oregun area of Ikeja, Lagos State, on the morning of Sunday, June 23, 2024.

The incident came to light through multiple videos shared on the social media platform X.

This branch, known as Christ Embassy Lagos Virtual Zone (CELVZ) and pastored by Yemisi Kudehinbu, had recently won the Best Church Award of the Year at the ongoing 2023/2024 International Cell Leaders’ Conference (ICLC) 2024.

Smoke was seen billowing from the top of the expansive, white-painted building as concerned residents looked on.

In some of the footage, a truck from the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service is seen parked beside the building, with a firefighter attempting to extinguish the flames. Unfortunately, his efforts appeared ineffective as the water from his hose struggled to reach the source of the fire.

### Church Member Confirms Fire Incident

A church member, who requested anonymity, confirmed the fire started early in the morning as congregants were beginning to arrive for service. Initially, they believed it was manageable, but they soon had to call the Alausa Fire Service for assistance when the fire intensified.

“It started in the early hours of the morning. They thought it was going to be something they could handle until it became so serious that the Alausa fire service guys had to come to quench it,” the member said.

The source could not confirm the cause of the fire but mentioned that it might have started near the pastor’s entrance, which is close to the choir stand.

Following the outbreak, congregants were relocated to the Cornerstone Auditorium within the church premises, where they live-streamed the ICLC with Pastor Chris Oyakhilome from the Asese campground in Ogun State.

As of the time of filing this report, the church has yet to make an official statement regarding the incident.