For over five hours on Tuesday, detectives at the Lagos State Police Command quizzed fiery preacher and founder of the House on the Rock Church, Pastor Paul Adefarasin, over allegations that he pointed a pistol to another road user in a fit of anger, drove an unlicensed vehicle and was unlawfully in possession of firearm.
His interrogation followed his voluntary submission to the police around 11:30 am after an invitation was extended to him concerning a viral video penultimate week, that showed him pointing a pistol-like object at a pedestrian later identified as a car spotter/content creator.
However, Adefarasin had denied pointing a firearm at the road user, telling his congregants at a church service last Sunday that he neither held a gun nor pointed one at the individual.
According to him, the allegations against him were the handiwork of people controlled by the spirit of Mammon, whose intent is to generate traffic and make more money.
Public outrage, however, followed both the video and his rebuttal, with many Nigerians calling on the police to arrest the pastor, investigate if he had a license to bear weapons and look into the entire scenario that played out.
From the video, the content creator who seemed fascinated by the pastor’s luxury vehicle could be heard hailing the driver as he advanced towards the vehicle, while an escort vehicle was seen advancing towards the right side of Adefarasin’s car.
The pastor subsequently wound down, raised his hand with an object and spoke to the car spotter briefly before zooming off.
Condemning his action, many Nigerians wondered why he threatened the man who, they claimed, was not close to his vehicle.
Others called on the police to invite him for questioning to ascertain if he had a licence to carry firearms or light weapons and whether it was legal for him to have acted in the manner he did.
But there were yet others who in the pastor’s defence, said he might have reacted that way as a result of incidences of traffic robbery on Lagos roads which might have triggered his defences when he most likely saw someone advancing towards his vehicle from his mirrors.
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Following public reaction to the incident, the police, it was gathered, extended an invitation to Adefarasin, who arrived at the command at 11:30 am and was still being questioned at about 5 pm.
Confirming the development, spokesman for the Police Command, CSP Benjamin Hundeyin said the outcome would be made public.
He added that no one was above the law, confirming that the pastor submitted himself to the police for questioning.
“No one is above the law! Pastor Paul Adefarasin has turned himself in at the Lagos State Police Command Headquarters, Ikeja and is currently being interrogated by detectives who have commenced investigation on the case since a video surfaced online showing the pastor holding a gun-like object against another road user, while driving in an unregistered vehicle.
“The outcome of the investigation will be made public,” said Hundeyin.