Lagos buildings where churches, bars, club, operate together in peace

THE SUN

Some religious hardliners call whatever goes on in hotels, bars and nightclubs works of darkness. Some others would tag such works of the flesh. So when two Christian ministries deliberately chose to have themselves sandwiched in the midst of a bar and nightclub located in two close buildings on Akowonjo Road, Egbeda, Lagos, you wonder whether the owners of the churches are not bothered with being so labelled.

One of the religious bodies, Christchurch International Ministry is practically submerged amid ‘countless’ business offices that surround it. It is such that colourful adverts and other signboards around it hide the small entrance and signboard of the church. For instance, the church, located at 62 Akowonjo Road Egbeda, Lagos State, is flanked by a travelling agency, a boutique and a busy spa shop. Above it are a photo studio, a fashion designer shop and a club called Rubis Lounge. Interestingly, House Number 60 also shares similar features. Though the majority of the open spaces in the building are rented as gaming centres, hotels, a lounge and a bar, two rooms on the upper part of the building is being used as a church: Redeemed Christian Church of God, Cornerstone Assembly.

But there seems to be no cause for alarm. Investigation by Saturday Sun has revealed that owners and pastors of the churches, as well as the operators of the lounges, bars, hotels and clubs are far from being bothered by what many moralists would ordinarily be worried about. Instead, they see their relationship as symbiotic

The church in the midst of nightclub and bar

The first building has five shops on the ground floor that deal in clothing materials and a travel agency. Located somewhere in the building is a lounge. When looked at from the outside, you might be tempted to think it is in a different building. But it shares the same address with the shops and church. During the day, the spaces are used as business centres where buying and selling take place. But during the night, the scene suddenly changes to something else, as patrons troop to the nightclub and bar to relax. Commercial sex workers could be seen milling around the place in seductive outfits, from the beginning of the first block to the second. Many times, the entrance of the church is turned into a negotiating spot for their fleshly offers. In fact sources say that sometimes some of them do the act right there, at the often-locked entrance of the church and simply walk away after it might have been over without feeling guilty. That way, what was supposed to be a ‘holy’ entrance is desecrated with frolicking acts, cigarettes, used condoms and the smell of alcohol.

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