LAGOS: The Lagos State Police Command has cleared the Senior Pastor of House on the Rock Church, Paul Adefarasin, of any wrongdoing after a viral video sparked controversy over his alleged possession of a firearm.
In a statement on Wednesday, Police spokesperson Abimbola Adebisi confirmed that Pastor Adefarasin voluntarily appeared at the command’s headquarters in Ikeja for questioning.
Investigators later established that the object he was seen holding in the video was a stun gun and not a lethal firearm.
After thorough investigation, including interrogation and a cautionary statement from Pastor Adefarasin, it was confirmed that the object in question was a stun gun. It is not a lethal weapon or firearm.
Consequently, there are no grounds to pursue the matter further, and the case is hereby discontinued, the police statement read.
The command stressed its commitment to transparency, the rule of law, and public safety.
This development contrasts with earlier remarks in June by the State Commissioner of Police, Olohundare Jimoh, who had stated on national television that pointing a stun gun at someone could constitute a criminal offence under Nigerian law.
At the time, Jimoh described stun guns as prohibited riot-control equipment and warned that using them to instil fear might amount to an offence.
The viral video, which surfaced in June, showed Adefarasin seated inside a Range Rover while holding the device during an exchange with another individual.
The pastor consistently denied brandishing a firearm, maintaining that the object was non-lethal.
With the police now closing the case, the controversy appears to have been settled in Adefarasin’s favour.
