The Senior Pastor of the House on the Rock Church in Lagos, Paul Adefarasin, has responded to viral allegations that he was wielding a firearm in a recent video, but his explanation has left some questions unanswered.
The clip, which surfaced online and has since gone viral, shows Adefarasin holding an object that some viewers believe resembles a gun while speaking to a passerby who was recording the incident.
This has fuelled speculation that the prominent cleric was brandishing a weapon.
In a message posted to his social media accounts on Saturday, Adefarasin dismissed the claims as a misunderstanding, asserting that the object seen in the video was not a firearm and that he did not point it at anyone.
He assured his followers that he would address the issue “briefly” during Sunday’s church service.
“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,” he stated.
Adefarasin acknowledged the concern the video may have sparked and promised to briefly address the issue during the church’s 9:00 a.m. service on Sunday.
“We understand the concern this accusation may have caused, and we will speak briefly to this mischief during the 9:00 a.m. service tomorrow. Thank you for your patience and understanding,” he added.
Addressing the issue on Sunday, Adefarasin said the incident is not an isolated attack, but rather an organised strategy to generate money through clickbait.
“This is not merely an attack, it is an organized strategy – to make money as clickbait,” Pastor Adefarasin stated in a video message shared on X handle by @SamzyVG.
He emphasised that the real enemy is not flesh and blood, but rather spiritual powers and principalities.
The pastor denied the allegations, stating that he does not carry a firearm and does not have a pistol license. He explained that the viral video was manipulated to create false accusations and generate revenue.
Although Adefarasin maintained that the object he held in the video was not a pistol, he did not clarify what it actually was.
“I do not have a pistol license for a firearm, I do not carry a firearm, and I pointed no firearm at anybody,” Pastor Adefarasin said. He believes that the motivation behind the attack was financial gain, rather than a genuine concern for public safety.
In a minute 32 seconds video clip shared on X, Pastor Adefarasin, who was addressing his church members, stated: “This is not merely an attack on a local church or a pastor, it is an organised strategy of the one that we are in war with; we do not wrestle against flesh and blood but against spiritual powers and principalities, spiritual wickedness in heavenly places, spiritual wickedness in high places, and an array of about 13 kinds of demonic host.
“And so the enticement of the enemy is always the love of money at the root of all evil.
“What we had to witness was clickbait, just looking for more money. I probably wasn’t even their target; their target was to make more money, and I was falsely accused of bearing a firearm, pointing a firearm at an aggressive content creator, who came within personal distances; anything separating me and him was maybe three-quarters of a meter or closer.
“I do not have a pistol license for a firearm, I do not carry a firearm, and I pointed no firearm at anybody. Amen.”
