What Police concluded in Pastor Adefarasin’s viral video case

The Lagos State Police Command has cleared Senior Pastor of House on the Rock, Paul Adefarasin, of any wrongdoing after a viral video appeared to show him holding a firearm.

Police spokesperson Abimbola Adebisi said on Wednesday that Adefarasin voluntarily reported to the Ikeja headquarters for questioning. Investigations confirmed that the object in the video was a stun gun, not a lethal weapon.

“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 firearm. Consequently, there are no sufficient grounds to proceed with the matter. The case is hereby discontinued,” the statement read.

The command reaffirmed its commitment to transparency, upholding the rule of law, and ensuring public safety.

The development contrasts with statements made in June by the state Commissioner of Police, Olohundare Jimoh, who warned that stun guns, considered riot control equipment, could constitute a criminal offence if used to instil fear. At the time, both Adefarasin and the other individual in the clip were set to be questioned.

The video, which circulated widely in June, showed the pastor seated in a Range Rover holding the device during an exchange with another person. Adefarasin had consistently denied brandishing a firearm, maintaining that it was a non-lethal object.