A mysterious fire rocked Partners auditorium in Christ Mercyland Deliverance Ministry (aka Mercy City), a popular church along the Warri-Sapele Road, Delta State on Tuesday, triggering a major inferno in the building.
A staffer of the church said the fire started suddenly, adding that the first person who saw it said he heard a major explosion and what followed next was a huge ball of fire.
Meanwhile, the founder and Senior Prophet of the church, Prophet Jeremiah Omoto Fufeyin (aka Papa J.) refused to comment. He politely declined to say anything directing reporters to the church secretary.
The Head of Service of the church, Mr. Okulayo Funfuye later said the church secretary had driven out of the premises.
Some staffers of Mercy City who spoke on condition of anonymity said the fire started at about 11 am and was extinguished by firefighters.
”We heard something like dynamite explode in the hall causing the fire”, they said.
According to them, no life was lost. An effort to get a comment from the church on the incident was unfruitful as the Mercy Television office line was switched off.
The scene of the incident was littered with charred chairs, air conditioners destroyed by the fire.
The fire burnt a large part of the roof of the auditorium and virtually everything of value in the hall.
The members who spoke expressed gratitude to God that the incident occurred at a time church service was not on.
“It would have been disastrous if church service was on. We thank God no life was lost”, another member said.
The fire only wreaked havoc inside the hall. No vehicle outside was torched.
Eighteen-Eleven Media