Becoming a property owner in Redemption Camp is not a straight forward thing, you’ve got to be a member of the church first. If you’re in, living there means you get to enjoy one of the best communities in Nigeria, with 24-hour electricity, good roads, and solid security. Plus, there’s a free, world-class hospital for everyone in the camp and even those outside it. And don’t forget about the reliable tap water that residents can access at no cost. All these perks make Redemption Camp a really popular place for a lot of Nigerians looking for a new home.
Redemption Camp (now called Redemption City) is the massive headquarters and campground of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) in Mowe, Ogun State, Nigeria, a sprawling city-like complex featuring vast auditoriums, residential areas, hospitals, schools, and businesses, known for hosting major church events and providing a spiritual haven away from urban life. The place was established in 1985 by Pastor E. A. Adeboye, it began on a small, challenging plot of land once known as a robbers’ hideout, but transformed into a place of spiritual significance.
Today, if you’re thinking about buying property there, the first thing you need is a membership with the RCCG (Redeemed Christian Church of God). After that, you’d want to deal with the official channels, which will review your application.
Just last week, ISAAC ABIMBADE, City People Magazine chatted with a well-known pastor in the RCCG who’s also fast on property matters in Lagos and beyond. This man knows the ins and outs of the process and has helped tons of church members get their properties in the camp. Although he didnt want is name mentioned identity, because of church rules.
When we asked him what steps to follow if someone wants to build a house in Redemption Camp, he was more than happy to share some insights.
He said, you can write the church. “ if you write officially either to the Legal Department or to the Chairman of the Lands Committee of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, you will get a reply within a short period. They will ask you how you can fund the house and also check if you are truly a member of the church.
In Redemption Camp, they only give a license to build. What it means is that ownership remains with the Redeemed Church. The reason for that is so that they can have ownership of the place if you don’t comply with the rules of the place. I mean, the sanctity of that place can be preserved”, he said.
He cintunues that, as long as you are a member, you have the right to use the place. If you want to transfer it to your children or your relatives, as long as they are members of Redeemed, just apply to the authorities, and they will approve it, as long as they show proof that this person is a member of Redeem. I mean, that is simple so that the use cannot be abused.
You can imagine somebody taking the house now and probably turning it into a disco hall.
We also asked: What about the shops there? He said, the shops are under the arm of the church. “There is an arm of the church that runs commercial activities. Anybody that wants a shop builds it. Those people take a lease from them, so they are like tenants to that arm. Did you get it now? So nobody individually can’t a shop. If you take a shop from them and they find out you sell beer, for example, they will tell you that you can’t use the place again.
For places like banks, they write to the church. If Zenith Bank for example, wants to build a branch there, since it is for banking purposes, they will give them permission. Those banks do not serve the church alone”.
He said further that, all over Mowe, all those Muslims come there. “Muslims, you see them dressed in their attire, they come. The only thing is that when we have a programme, like maybe on Sunday, naturally, they don’t open on Sundays. Even the hospital is open to everybody. It’s not for members alone. Yes, it’s not for members alone. They don’t ask you where you are from. You are treated, and that’s it.”
He also talked about electricity when we asked if the electricity is also for general consumption? “Yes. So when there’s a house there, you connect, and that’s how you pay. Initially, light was free until the cost became enormous for the church. Even as it is today, the church subsidizes. So every house is metered, but the church subsidizes, so nobody pays for this service. We have a massive water treatment system in that place as well. Massive, that can serve a whole city in that area”.
He said people advertising houses for sale in Redemption Camp are fraudsters. “They just want to scam the people. For example, if you drive into the Redeemed Camp today, in some areas, they have already put up open billboards. “Houses are not for sale.” “Houses are not for lease.” So that people will not be scammed. I mean, there are some people who claim that they can help you buy land inside the camp now and scam people. So when it was becoming rampant, the church started putting up billboards around the camp. Houses are not for sale in the camp. Houses are not for lease in the camp. They will tell you, if you need anything, please go to the office”, he revealed.
How do people go about it if they want to have a property in the Redeemed Camp?
“First of all, I must be a Redeemed member, right? I mean, you apply to the office. And then, you come to the land department to get a form, free. Stating what you want to build. And then, naturally, you provide in the letter to ascertain that this person is our member. We have had a situation in the past where sometimes churches will even come together. Our own churches will come together. The members want to come together and build. But invariably, they will now give it to a developer. And what does the developer want, sir? Profit! So, when the members are not forthcoming to pay off his money, he sells to anybody. So, invariably, when the church identifies such people, easily the church will tell them no. This place is meant for only our church members. And they will refund whatever they have paid the person. Even parishes that want to develop now are being banned. So, another thing is this: if someone who stays abroad wants to, probably he wants to stay in a Redeemed camp while coming home, and he’s a member of the church, can he do that through someone, a reputable someone, someone from within the church? They have our churches there, too. So, their church will write a letter to ascertain that this is our member. And they will approve.
I mean, anywhere we have a church, they are under one control, one leadership there.
How affordable is this? The property in the camp. They don’t charge for land. The only thing is, I mean, you are meant to contribute to the cost, because initially the church was bearing the cost of infrastructure. when the thing was becoming enormous, you pay something just to show that, because you just realize that the cost is free.
People are abusing it. For example, like I said, the issue of electricity. People will put on their lights from one month of Holy Ghost service to the next one, But now that they are paying something, but not full money, people now switch off their lights. What is free is water. Even at that, people still waste water. Does it mean having a property means it is yours forever at Redemption Camp? Yes, as long as you are alive. The church is not interested in taking your land. And if the person dies, the children who are members of the Redeemed write and say, “Oh, our father has passed on,” and they prove that they are members. If they can now prove that they are members of the Redeemed, they will be allowed to change to the name of one of them who is now a member. They will be, “Oh, this is, I mean, okay, we are agreeing that this person should now.” And sometimes, they can even say, “Oh, our uncle, our brother, our father’s brother is in your church. Please, can you transfer this person?” So it will now be seen, the church will now recognize him. No charges, no nothing.
They just transfer it to him. As long as they will trace to be sure that that person is a member.
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