Churches and mosques in Lagos State will remain closed till further notice – LASG

By Our Correspondent

Lagos State Government insists that churches and mosques in the state will remain closed till further notice despite FG’s relaxation on the ban on worship centres.

In a chat with journalists on Tuesday, Anofiu Elegushi, Commissioner for Home Affairs, explained that reopening worship centres was being put off for now because the state remained the hub of the coronavirus pandemic in Nigeria. Cases of infections today stands at 5,135 in Lagos State.

According to the commissioner, the State government had held discussions with religious leaders who agreed that worship centres should be closed until “the coast is clear”.

“Even before the pronouncement by the federal government, we have been having meetings with the religious leaders, we even had one with safety commission, looking at the possibility of reopening of religious houses,” Elegushi said.

“We also had one with the leaders of the two faiths and I want to tell you categorically that at that meeting, the possibility of reopening religious houses was ruled out totally.

“They claimed that they cannot take such responsibility of ensuring that only 20 or 50 people are praying behind them. Like an Imam said he doesn’t know what is going on at the back immediately he is leading a prayer.

“He said if more than 20 or 50 people are staying at his back he is not going to take responsibility for their presence.

“So in the meeting, we ruled out in totality the issue of reopening the religious houses until we have a clear coast for us to do so. The federal government mentioned it, but it never ruled out the state in achieving that pronouncement, so all states will have to look at the possibility of doing so in their respective states.”

Elegushi said Lagosians should await further directives on when religious activities would fully resume in the state.

“We all know Lagos is still having more figures, so definitely that will speak to our decision,” he said.

“We will call the two faith together and discuss the pronouncement and I can assure you that they themselves will tell us not to do it.”