Officials of the Bayelsa State Physical Planning and Development Board (BSPPDB) led by Mr. Gideon Ekeuwei, have sealed off a collapsed building on Ebis Mechanic Road in Yenagoa, the State capital.
The building, reportedly owned by the Assemblies of God Church, collapsed over a month ago but was allegedly hidden from the relevant authorities.
It was, however, noticed by officials of the Board who were on routine patrol on Monday.
It was gathered that some worshippers reportedly escaped death by the whiskers when the building collapsed.
The leadership of the Church was said to have relocated but planned to rebuild the structure later.
Head of the Public Relations Unit of BSPPDB, Mr. Stanley Gbalipre Imgbi, confirmed the incident through a statement on Saturday.
The statement said investigation into the circumstances that led to the collapse of the building has commenced.
The agency reiterated the need for land developers to always engage the Board before carrying out any project development 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 group 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.”