An explosion rocked Partners auditorium in Christ Mercy Land Deliverance Ministry aka Mercy city, a popular church along the Warri-Sapele road, Delta state on Tuesday, triggering a major inferno in the building.
A top staff of the church who spoke to the Vanguard said the fire started suddenly, adding that the first person who saw it said he heard a major explosion, and what followed next was a huge ball of fire.
When Vanguard met with the founder and Senior Prophet of the church, Prophet Jeremiah Omoto Fufeyin aka Papa J, for comment, he politely declined, saying he would prefer the church secretary to speak.
The Head of Service of the church, Mr. Okulayo Funfuye who led the Vanguard to the Senior Prophet later told the Vanguard that the church secretary had driven out of the premises.
Some staff of the Mercy city who spoke to the Vanguard on condition of anonymity said the fire started at about 11 am and was extinguished by firefighters.
“We heard something like dynamite exploded in the hall causing the fire”, they said.
According to them, no life was lost. The effort to get a comment from the church on the incident was unfruitful as the Mercy Television office line was switched off.
At the scene of the incident, there were chairs, and air conditioners destroyed by the fire.
Vanguard observed at the scene of the incident that the fire burnt a large part of the roof of the auditorium and virtually everything of value in the hall.
The members who spoke expressed gratitude to God that the incident occurred at a time church service was not on.
“It would have been disastrous if church service was on. We thank God no life was lost”, another member said.
The fire only wreaked havoc inside the hall. No vehicle outside was torched
