Nigeria: Lagos’ Places of Worship to Remain Closed
The state of Lagos has suspended all actions to reopen mosques and churches over the weekend due to mounting cases of coronavirus (COVID-19).
Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, announced on Tuesday, 16 June, that places of worship would be indefinitely closed until further notice, adding that the action would be effective immediately.
During the press briefing, he told journalists: “We have rescinded our earlier decision to open churches and mosques for worship.”
Christianity and Islam are major religions in the west African nation. Churches and mosques were expected to respectively open this Friday, 19 June, and Sunday, 21 June.
Nigeria currently has 17 148 active COVID-19 cases, and 455 people have lost their lives.
The capital state – home to 20 million citizens in the commercial hub alone – is the most hard-hit.
Authorities announced a month-long lockdown in early May to halt the spread of COVID-19, but many Nigerians failed to adhere to the guidelines of social distancing.
