The Lagos State Police Command has cleared the Senior Pastor of House on the Rock Church, Paul Adefarasin, of wrongdoing after a viral video showed him holding what appeared to be a firearm.
In a statement released on Wednesday, the Command’s spokesperson, Abimbola Adebisi, confirmed that Pastor Adefarasin voluntarily appeared at the police headquarters in Ikeja for questioning over the incident.
According to the police, investigations revealed that the object seen in the viral video was a stun gun and not a lethal weapon.
The statement read: “After a thorough investigation, including interrogation and a cautionary statement from Pastor Adefarasin, it was established that the object in question was a stun gun and not a lethal weapon or firearm.
Consequent to our findings, the Lagos State Police Command has determined that there are no sufficient grounds to proceed with the matter. The case is hereby discontinued.”
The Command emphasized that it remains committed to transparency in its operations, upholding the rule of law, and ensuring public safety.
This resolution marks a departure from earlier remarks in June, when the then Commissioner of Police, Olohundare Jimoh, stated that pointing a stun gun at someone constituted a criminal offence under Nigerian law.
At the time, Jimoh explained on Channels Television that stun guns fall under prohibited riot control equipment and warned that using them to instill fear could amount to an offence. He had further indicated that both Pastor Adefarasin and the individual allegedly threatened in the clip would be questioned.
The viral video, which surfaced in June, showed the pastor seated in a Range Rover while holding the device during an exchange with another individual.
Pastor Adefarasin has consistently denied brandishing a firearm, maintaining that the object was non-lethal