lamented the alleged continuous disruption of their sleep due to the
noise emanating from a Pentecostal church on the street.
They alleged that the church, Transfiguration and Solution Bible
Church, held vigils three times a week, which most times did not end
till 5am.
They said they were usually forced to keep awake while the vigils
lasted, as the blaring loudspeakers intruded into their privacy.
A resident, Audu Paul, said the problem started in 2012, when the
church began to grow and its pastor, Jide Balogun, a former tailor on
the street, decided to acquire bigger electronic gadgets.
He said, "The church started in 2011 on a lower level. The pastor was
then using his tailor shop. All of a sudden, it metamorphosed into a
big church.
"He started with some musical instruments, but later added
microphones, organs and even talking drum. Every Monday, Wednesday and
Friday are for vigils.
"When they start, they don't end till 5am, and that is when we are
able to sleep. Our children will not be able to read or sleep. As I
speak, I am on drugs. I take the drugs to sleep because of this
nuisance."
A landlord whose house is located beside the church, Segun Plumptre,
also a pastor of another Pentecostal church, said he had been living
in the area since 1979 and had never experienced the level of noise
the church produced.
"They make noise as if they are in a beer parlour. Initially, people
were tolerant until they started with the musical instruments. But
this could have still been accommodated; if not that they play their
instruments in the dead of the night when others are sleeping. There
is no way you can be in such an environment and sleep. Right in my
bedroom, you will think it is an orchestra playing," he lamented.
The retired aviation expert added that letters written to the Lagos
State Government to check the excesses of the church had yet to
receive attention, adding he had been forced to relocate and sleep in
his own church because he could not get enough rest at home.
A serving corps member in Ibadan, Oyo State, who was on a visit to his
parents, Somoye Adedotun, told our correspondent that since he arrived
for the December break, he had not been able to enjoy his rest because
of the church's activities.
"Last week was worse because there was no light. It was just like we
were in the church. You could hear everything they were saying- the
prayers and singing. Normally they stop at 4am, and we were expecting
that 4am, we would sleep, but it went on till 5am. I came out and saw
my cousin in the morning to ask if he slept, and he said no," he said
Metro obtained a petition written against the church and addressed to
the General Manager of the Lagos State Environmental Protection
Agency, in which the Divisional Police Officer, Mushin was copied.
The letter dated October 28, 2013 threatened legal action against the
church if the noise was not reduced.
When our correspondent contacted Pastor Jide on the allegations, he
said, "I have been here for over 20 years. I am aware the residents
wrote a letter to LASEPA and the Ministry of Environment, and my
lawyer has already visited LASEPA. Ever since that time, which was
around November 2013, we have reduced our noise. We only play our
instrument on Sundays; when we do our weekly programmes, we end it by
8pm
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