The Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Olohundare Jimoh, has said that pointing a stun gun at someone is a criminal offence under Nigerian law, even if the device is non-lethal.
Jimoh made this known on Thursday while speaking on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily, during which he provided an update on the investigation involving the Senior Pastor of House on the Rock Church, Paul Adefarasin.
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Adefarasin was recently invited for questioning over a viral video showing him with an object that many believed was a firearm.
The Lagos police have since confirmed it was a stun gun.
“Nothing is an offence under the law, except what the law states to be an offence. Even under the Fire Arms Act, if you fashion out anything that is not metal, like wood, and you make it look like a gun, and you use that guise to take possession of property from another person, you have committed armed robbery.
“So, pointing a stun gun at another individual and sending that threat and fear to such a person at that particular time constitutes an offence. So, the police are doing everything in line with the law,” the Lagos CP said.
Jimoh also said the stun gun recovered from the pastor qualifies as prohibited riot control equipment under Nigerian law.
He added that although Adefarasin has been granted bail, the investigation is ongoing.
“He was invited; a letter of invitation was sent to him. In fact, we had prepared our warrant of arrest, in case he refused to comply with the invitation. But he turned himself in and was questioned by a team of investigators who were already on the matter before he turned himself in.
“The matter is still undergoing further investigation. As the PPRO has informed the public, what was recovered from him was a stun gun, not a lethal weapon, but it is prohibited riot equipment which we are investigating. We further questioned him why he pointed such to another individual,” Jimoh said.
The commissioner further disclosed that the individual allegedly threatened in the video would also be invited for a statement.
“It is equally on social media that the person he pointed it to is a content creator and we are taking a statement from him as soon as he equally gets to us because we have got his address and we’re going to get him to make a statement in that regard.
“So, the pastor is still under investigation, though he has been granted bail, but we will continue with the investigation and make the outcome of the investigation public for all Nigerians to know,” he said.
The video, which surfaced earlier this month, showed Adefarasin in a Range Rover, holding what appeared to be a black device while speaking to someone outside the vehicle.
Earlier, the pastor had denied brandishing a firearm, insisting that the object in the video was not a gun.
“You might be aware of a video circulating on social media showing me in what some have misunderstood as brandishing a firearm. I want to assure you — that was certainly not a firearm, and at no point did I point such at anyone,” Adefarasin wrote on his official X handle.