Lagos Seals Surulere Church After Resident’s Complaint Over Late-Night Noise
Lagos State environmental officials have sealed All Christians Gathering Ministry in Surulere following a complaint about persistent noise pollution allegedly disturbing residents of the neighbourhood.
The Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab, announced the enforcement action on Sunday, November 8, saying an investigation by environmental officials established that the church violated environmental regulations and constituted a nuisance to residents.
The church is located at No. 1, Ishola Street, off Clegg, Surulere, Lagos.
Wahab said the premises would remain sealed until further notice, adding that the government would not tolerate environmental violations by religious institutions, businesses or other establishments.
The enforcement action followed a public complaint by an X user identified as DAVERY, who had appealed to the commissioner over what he described as repeated late-night disturbances from the church.
In a post published around 1:31 a.m. on Saturday, November 7, the resident complained that the noise had prevented him from sleeping.
He also expressed concerns about publicly disclosing the church’s location for security reasons, offering instead to provide the necessary details privately to the commissioner.
In subsequent complaints, the resident described previous encounters with a church member and alleged that the noise had affected other households in the neighbourhood, including a family with a child under one year old.
Responding to the complaint, Wahab said environmental officials investigated the matter and confirmed that the establishment was violating the state’s environmental regulations.
He maintained that religious institutions and other establishments must operate within the limits prescribed by environmental laws, stressing that no individual or organisation was above the law.
Lagos State, through the Lagos State Environmental Protection Agency (LASEPA), regulates noise pollution across residential, commercial and industrial areas.
According to the agency’s published noise pollution guidelines, residential areas must not exceed 55 decibels during the day and 45 decibels at night.
The guidelines also require religious institutions, clubhouses and entertainment establishments to operate within enclosed and soundproofed environments, with speakers regulated to prevent disturbances to neighbouring residents.
Section 177 of the Lagos State Environmental Management and Protection Law 2017 also addresses the use of public address systems and loudspeakers in ways that cause nuisance or discomfort to the public.
The latest enforcement action adds to the state government’s ongoing efforts to address noise pollution involving religious centres, hotels, lounges and other establishments across Lagos.
