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“Be strengthened, assured of our prayers”: Catholic Bishop in Nigeria in Solidarity with Pastor after Church Inferno

Fire incident at the headquarters of Christ Embassy church in Nigeria. Credit: Catholic Diocese of Sokoto

Bishop Matthew Hassan Kukah of the Catholic Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Sokoto in Nigeria has expressed his solidarity with Pastor Chris Oyakhilome and members of the Christ Embassy church, following a fire incident at the headquarters of their church premises on Sunday, June 23.

On June 23, the general headquarters of the Christ Embassy church, along the Kudirat Abiola Way, Ikeja in Lagos State, was almost reduced to ashes following an inferno at the premises; no human life was lost.

In a statement addressed to the head of the Christian entity, Bishop Kukah says, “We all woke up on this Holy Day of the Lord to the tragedy of a fire incident in one of your churches in the Ikeja axis of Lagos.”

“On behalf of myself and all of us here in Sokoto, please accept our deepest sympathies. We pray that no sacred lives are lost,” Bishop Kukah says in the statement issued June 23 in which he reiterates his hope and prayer that “no sacred lives were lost.”

He adds, “As people of the resurrection, please be assured that the Lord is on His throne and is the cornerstone on which the structure of our faith stands.”

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The Nigerian Catholic Bishop draws inspiration from the words of St. Paul, reminding Christians not to forget that “if we live, we live for the Lord, and if we die, we die for the Lord.”

“Be strengthened and assured of our prayers, and the Lord will rebuild His church for the glory of His name,” Bishop Kukah further says.

He emphasizes, “The Lord will rebuild His Church for the glory of His name. May the Lord strengthen us all.”

Jude Atemanke is a Cameroonian journalist with a passion for Catholic Church communication. He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Journalism and Mass Communication from the University of Buea in Cameroon. Currently, Jude serves as a journalist for ACI Africa.