Feb. 2, 2024

The Oyo State Government has sealed a branch of a place of worship (name withheld) situated at Golden Estate, Oluyole, Ibadan, over noise pollution.

This is contained in a statement issued on Friday in Ibadan by the state Commissioner for Information and Civic Orientation, Dotun Oyelade.

The commissioner said that government took the action after several unresolved steps taken by the State Ministry of Environment, to mediate among the complainants, residents and the church management.

“The state government was left with no other options than to seal the church premises to avert preventable escalations of brewing tensions between the residents and the church.

“Some members of the community had, before now, locked the estate gate against members of the Church and prevented services to hold.

“Officials of the Ministry on receipt of several complaints from next door residents to the Church, over the incessant noise, through official letters and phone calls, visited the area, on Nov. 9, 2023.

“The team recorded the sound level of the church activities at intervals, starting from praise- worship, with the average reading of 74 DB (daytime), contravening the extant environmental regulations of 2023, which states that the noise limits for residential areas at daytime must not exceed 65 DB.

“Hence, it was ascertained with sound measurements that the church constituted noise pollution” the statement read.

Oyelade further explained that the Ministry of Environment led by its Commissioner, Mr. Mojeed Mogbonjubola later held a resolution meeting with the parties on Nov. 29, 2023.

He said representatives of the Church refused to sign undertaking letter, with the excuse to get approval from the its headquarters and report back on Dec.4, 2023 which they didn’t comply.

Government warns against the occurrence of noise pollution, both by churches, mosques, club houses, industries, companies and market places, as violators would be prosecuted.