In Yenagoa, the capital of Bayelsa State, a collapsed structure on Ebis Mechanic Road has been cordoned off by staff members of the Bayelsa State Physical Planning and Development Board (BSPPDB) under the direction of Mr Gideon Ekeuwei.
The Assemblies of God Church is said to own the building, which fell over a month ago but was supposedly kept a secret from the proper authorities.
However, Board representatives who were out on a normal patrol on Monday discovered it.
Some worshipers apparently narrowly avoided death when the edifice collapsed, according to information received.
According to reports, the church's leadership moved but had plans to reconstruct the building in the future.
The Head of the Public Relations Unit, BSPPDB, Mr Stanley Gbalipre Imgbi, confirmed the incident in a statement on Saturday.
The statement said the investigation into the circumstances that led to the collapse of the said building had commenced.
It reiterated the need for land developers to always engage the Board before carrying out any form of project developed in the state.
The statement said: “The Board will make available the outcome of the investigation and the collapsed Assemblies of God Church building off Ebi’s Mechanic Road has been sealed and under the custody of the Bayelsa State Government.
“The action is in compliance with the provisions of Sections 59 and 62 of the Bayelsa State Physical Planning and Development Law 2015. All individuals or groups of individuals are hereby barred from the precinct of the church.
“In line with the provisions of the law establishing the Board, it is compulsory that land developers must first seek approval from the Board before embarking on any form of development.
“It should be noted that the Board has the personnel with the requisite technical know-how in building construction. It is therefore disheartening for land developers to always engage quacks to carry out their development.”