Latest: Why Sanwo-Olu keeps churches, mosques closed after FG lifted restrictions

Churches, mosques, and other places of worship remain close in Lagos.

According to Commissioner for Home Affairs, Prince Anofiu Elegushi,  Lagos being the epicentre of the coronavirus would only reopen worship centres until there is a “clear coast for the state to do so”.

Elegushi said this on the sideline of the 2020 Ministerial Press Briefing commemorating the first year in office of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu o Tuesday.

The federal government, through the Presidential Task Force on Covid-19 said on Monday churches and mosques will re-open in consonance with the NCDC guidelines and each state’s decisions.

Religious bodies, including CAN, submitted their guidelines for re-opening to states last week, and Nigerians expected some level of agreement that would have seen the churches re-opened.

“Even before the pronouncement by 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,” he 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.’