The Senior Pastor of House on the Rock Church, Pastor Paul Adefarasin, has been granted bail by the police following questioning over a viral video showing him holding a gun-like object.
The Lagos State Police Command disclosed this in a statement after questioning the cleric who turned himself in on Tuesday.
According to the police, Adefarasin was interrogated and he volunteered a cautionary statement to the police investigators.
It added that a stun gun was recovered from the cleric.
“What was recovered from him, the gun-like object seen in the viral video, is not a lethal weapon or firearm but a stun gun which is a prohibited anti-riot equipment.
“The pastor has been granted bail while investigations continue into the case,” the statement read in part.
The video, which surfaced earlier this month, shows the prominent cleric driving a Range Rover, winding down his window, and engaging with a road user while holding a black unidentified object.
The footage sparked widespread speculation online, with many alleging the object resembled a firearm.
In a reaction, Pastor Adefarasin took to his official X handle to dismiss the claims.
“You might be aware of a video which has been circulating on social media showing me in what some have misunderstood as brandishing a firearm. I want to assure you of this — that was certainly not a firearm, and at no point did I point such at anyone,” he wrote.
During last Sunday’s service, which was streamed live on the church’s YouTube channel, Adefarasin reiterated his position, describing the public reaction as both “hurtful” and “malicious”.
“I was falsely accused of bearing a firearm, pointing a firearm at an aggressive content creator who came within personal distance,” he said. “The only thing separating him and me was maybe three-quarters of a metre and a glass. I do not have a pistol licence. I do not carry a firearm, and I pointed no firearm at anybody.”
He further decried the spread of misinformation and suggested financial motivations were behind the narrative.
“We have witnessed clickbaiters just looking for more money. I probably wasn’t even their target; their target was to make more money,” he told the congregation.
Reflecting on the toll the saga took on him, the 62-year-old cleric admitted feeling “shocked” and “hurt” when notified of the trending video.
“I am human. But God is touched by our infirmities and can first give us succour. And what the enemy means for evil, He works for good,” he said.
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