Police detain an Abuja pastor for illegal firearm possession

In a widely shared video on Sunday, the cleric could be seen pointing an assault rifle at a congregation.

Pastor Uche Aigbe of Abuja’s House on the Rock Cathedral has been detained by the Federal Capital Territory Police Command for illegally possessing a handgun.

According to Josephine Adeh, the Federal Capital Territory spokesman, he was detained together with the Church Chief Security Officer and one Inspector Musa Audu.

In a widely shared video on Sunday, the cleric could be seen pointing an assault rifle at a congregation.

After conducting an investigation into the incident, the police reported the pastor’s arrest late on Monday.

“The pastor, whose speeches and protests were labelled inciting by a variety of media outlets and social media users, was detained early on Monday, February 13, 2023, along with the church’s chief security officer and one Inspector Musa Audu, who was working that day and had improperly released his rifle to the pastor without seeking permission from or invoking the help of the police.

Members of the public are reminded to refrain from actions or statements that violate existing laws because they are trite and all offenders will receive proper punishment, according to the police.

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Unwise action — Church

In the meantime, the church claimed in a statement on Monday that the pastor delivered a sermon about using spiritual weapons to fight the good cause and carried “an empty gun” to emphasise his point about “Guarding your Faith.”

According to House On The Rock, Uche has served as a church leader since 1999 and has always exhibited exceptional leadership.

But even with the best of intentions, bringing a pistol to convey his point was unfortunate and ill-advised, according to the statement.

“Pastor Uche has without reservation acknowledged the seriousness of his conduct and apologised for them.

As a church, House On The Rock rejects all forms of violence and is committed to spreading the good news of Jesus Christ, who stands for world peace and goodwill.

“We will continue to engage internally to ensure this breach in protocol does not occur again. We are fully collaborating with the authorities as they conduct their investigations into this issue.”