There was a huge gas explosion around the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) camp at Mowe area of Ogun State.
The Redemption City formerly known as Redemption Camp is the campground and international headquarters of the RCCG in Mowe. It is one of the largest churches in Nigeria.
The General Overseer of the church is Pastor Enoch Adeboye.
READ ALSO: http://Ikole High Chiefs frown at Ekiti dep. gov. unruly behaviour, demand apology
There were initially fears that a huge ball of smoke visible from a distance from the church was caused by a bomb explosion. However, the fears were later dispelled by nearby residents who said the explosion was caused by gas and not on the church premises.
“The explosion is from a gas plant behind RCCG,” a resident said.
Images and video footage have continued to spread on social media, but it is not immediately clear the extent of the damage caused.
The explosion caused panic among residents as they ran for safety.
READ ALSO: http://Truck crushes Taekwondo athlete to death in Nasarawa days after winning Silver
The facility opened in 1983 and has since expanded to over 2500 hectares. The entire RCCG campsite (over 2,500Ha) is owned by RCCG Mission, with a Certificate of Occupancy number 23876 issued by the Ogun State Government of Nigeria on 4th August 1998.
The Redemption City has over 5,000 houses, roads, rubbish collection, police station, hospitals, supermarkets, banks, a fun fair, a post office, schools, a printing press, Redeemed Bible College, and a power plant. As of 2018, there were about 12,000 people living in Redemption City.