By Ibrahim Salaudeen, Lagos
The Commissioner of Police, Lagos State Command of the Nigeria Police Force (NPF), Olorundare Jimoh, has said that pointing out stun gun to a person and sending threat and fear to such an entity constitutes an offence.
Jimoh also said it does not matter whether the object is a metal or wood but if fashioned to look like a gun and someone uses it to take possession of another man’s property, that equally “amounts to armed robbery.”
The Police Commissioner made this known on Thursday morning, June 19, while appearing on the Channels Television.
He spoke in reference to the viral video showing the Founder of the House on the Rock Church, Pastor Paul Adefarasin, pointing out a gun – like object to a pedestrian in Lagos when the pastor was driving in an unmarked grey colour vehicle.
The Lagos State Police Command boss revealed that despite being granted bail, the investigation of Adefarasin by detectives still continued.
He said, “Nothing is an offence except what the law says is an offence. Under the Firearms Act if you fashion out anything that isn’t even a metal or it is a wood that look like a gun and uses that guises to take possession of property from another person, you have committed an armed robbery.
“So, by pointing out a stunt gun to another individual and send out such a threat and fear to such a person at that particular time constitute an offence. So, the police are doing their things in line with the law and extant provisions of the Constitution creating the police, the Police Act and other regulations we are abiding with in carrying out our day to day activities.
“So, the pastor is still under investigation though he has been granted bail but we will continue the investigation.”
Earlier, The Daily Crucible reported that Pastor Paul Adefarasin, had turned himself in to the police in Lagos over a viral video of him allegedly holding a gun-like object while driving an unregistered grey colour vehicle in the Centre of Excellence.
It was learnt that Pastor Adefarasin submitted himself June 17, to men of the Lagos State Police Command who had begun investigation into the viral video of him holding a stun gun that elicited both shock and suspicion from a pedestrian.
The spokesperson of the command, CSP Benjamin Hundeyin, said the cleric turned himself in for investigation.
The Daily Crucible also reports that in a related development, the Presiding Pastor of the House on the Rock in Abuja, Uche Aigbe, had issues with the police which led to illegal firearms charges slammed against him in 2023. Aigbe had, during a Sunday church service in February 2023, innocuously stormed the pulpit with an AK-47 rifle to illustrate his sermon titled “Guarding your faith.”
But the police took exception to it and accused him of being in possession of a prohibited firearm.
The police claimed that he acted contrary to Section 3 of the Firearms Act Cap F28 Law of the Federation.
It is yet to be ascertained if the matter had been resolved.