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 showed him holding what appeared to be a firearm.
In a statement issued on Wednesday by the Command’s spokesperson, SP Abimbola Adebisi, the police confirmed that Pastor Adefarasin voluntarily appeared at the Command Headquarters in Ikeja for questioning.
According to the statement, investigations revealed that the object seen in the video was a stun gun and not a firearm.
> “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 statement read.
The Command added that it remains committed to transparency, rule of law, and public safety.
The clearance marks a shift from earlier remarks in June when the then Commissioner of Police, Olohundare Jimoh, had said that pointing a stun gun at someone could constitute a criminal offence under Nigerian law.
Speaking on Channels Television at the time, Jimoh stressed that stun guns are classified as prohibited riot control equipment, warning that using them to instil fear may amount to an offence. He also noted that both Pastor Adefarasin and the individual seen in the clip would be questioned.
The viral video, which surfaced in June, showed Pastor Adefarasin seated in a Range Rover while holding the device during an exchange with another individual.
The clergyman had consistently denied brandishing a firearm, maintaining that it was a non-lethal object
