The Lagos State Police Command has confirmed that Pastor Paul Adefarasin, Senior Pastor of House on the Rock Church, remains under investigation after a video showed him holding a black object that resembled a firearm.
The object was later identified by police as a stun gun, which they described as “prohibited riot equipment.”
The viral video, which circulated earlier this month, showed Pastor Adefarasin in a black Range Rover. He was seen rolling down his window and pointing what appeared to be a weapon at a road user who was filming him.
The video quickly gained attention on social media, sparking public concern and debate.
Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Olohundare Jimoh, while speaking on a morning programme on national television, said the stun gun posed a legal issue under Nigerian law.
According to him, using any object—including a non-lethal one—to threaten someone can constitute a criminal offence.
“Pointing a stun gun at another individual and sending that threat and fear to such a person at that particular time constitutes an offence,” the CP explained.
He added that while the object was not a traditional firearm, it still falls under “prohibited riot equipment” and is subject to legal scrutiny.
Pastor Adefarasin Turned Himself In, Says Police
Jimoh said the police had already prepared a warrant of arrest in case Adefarasin failed to honour their invitation. However, the pastor turned himself in voluntarily on Tuesday and was interrogated by police investigators.
According to the commissioner, “The matter is still undergoing further investigation. He has been granted bail but we are continuing the probe.”
He also said the person who was recording the incident would be invited to give a statement. That individual, described as a “content creator” by Adefarasin, has reportedly been located.
Church Disputes Police Claim, Says Stun Gun Was Legal
However, House on the Rock Church, in a statement released on Wednesday, denied that the stun gun was illegal. It insisted that Pastor Adefarasin never carried a firearm and criticised the police for mislabelling the object.
The church said, “Pastor Paul was detained for several hours and released without charge. During that time, an official police tweet mislabelled his strobe-light stinger—also known as a stun gun—as ‘prohibited anti-riot equipment.’ Leading Nigerian lawyers advise that this description is incorrect in law.”
The church further explained that the incident involved an “aggressive content creator” who allegedly provoked the pastor by recording him. It maintained that the pastor’s actions did not breach the law and described his continued cooperation with police as a show of integrity.
It also assured the public that Adefarasin would be fully cleared once the facts are reviewed.
“Pastor Paul continues to cooperate fully with the police investigation and is confident that, once the facts are reviewed, he will be exonerated of the allegation arising from the viral video,” the statement read.
The controversy has stirred debate among legal experts and the public about what qualifies as prohibited weaponry and whether Adefarasin’s actions were lawful.
Some observers have questioned the police’s interpretation of the law, especially in relation to the Firearms Act and regulations concerning stun devices.
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