Worshippers attend service in Kaduna despite restriction

Churches, Mosques resort to house fellowships in Osun

Despite the restriction by the Government on gathering in worship places in Kaduna following the outbreak of Corona virus, there was turnout of Christians worshippers in Churches yesterday.

Most of the Pentecostal churches in the metropolis conducted services which attracted hundreds of worshippers, among them included, Living Faith Church, Redeem Christian Church and most of the Catholic Church parishes.

The Zonal Pastor of Sanctuary of Favour parish of the Redeem Christian Church of God (RCCG), Mando branch, Kaduna, Pastor Steve
Olorunsola tasked Nigerians to unite in prayers in other to defeat viral corona virus.

Pastor Steve who made the call yesterday, also said that RCCG has put in measures by dividing its Sunday services into five services making its gathering less than fifty in a services.

“Other measures are the use of hand sanitiser and taking of temperatures of people to ensure that any member entering the church is satisfied fit”, he said.

According to pastor Steve, just like Ebola, Lassa fever that are now history, he is optimistic that Nigeria would soon overcome the deadly disease known as coronavirus.

He said that when Nigeria comes together irrespective of tribe or religion and seek forgiveness from God, corona virus will be a thing of the past.
Churches in Osun state yesterday suspended Sunday service in compliance with the Osun state government’s directive asking citizens to avoid gathering of more than 50 persons as preventive measure against the spread of Coronavirus.

The Guardian observed that christians in Osogbo, the state capital held church services in their respective homes just as some of them embarked on house fellowship to achieve the weekly obligation.

The state government had on Saturday banned public gatherings in the state under any guise including worship centres and other organizations due to the increasing number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 pandemic in the country.

The government had also announced closure of both public and private schools in the state until further notice.A check by The Guardian on the government directive showed that most churches in Osogbo did not open for Sunday service yesterday

Also last Friday, most mosques did not open for worship, as most muslims observed the Friday Jumat in their respective homes. Some of the Churches visited included the Redeemed Christian Church of God, Breakthrough Cathedral, Gbongan Road, Osogbo, the All Saints Anglican Church, Balogun -Agoro, Osogbo, Methodist Church of Nigeria Diocese, isale Aro, Osogbo and Union Baptist Church , Odi-Olowo,Osogbo.

Other Churches that were closed to the worshipers were the Living Faith Church (Winners’ Chapel) Ring road, Osogbo, Christ Apostolic Church, Oke-Bale, Christ Apostolic Church Latona, Christ Apostolic Church, Ayetoro and The Holy Ghost Power Assembly Worldwide Osogbo.

Reacting to the closure of churches in Osogbo yesterday, the Director of Media of Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN), Bishop Seun Adeoye said that Osun state government’s directive to stop church services yesterday came too late to allow full compliance by their members. He said the initial directive was allowing a minimum of 50 people to congregate and that same notice was fully delivered to Church leaders.

“And to particularly order churches to stop Sunday services when mosques across the state opened for early morning prayers is divisive.“It is hoped that no church where congregants are less than 50 would be victimized by agents of government in this regard. We will keep monitoring things”, he said.