…commences investigation and disciplinary action
The Federal Capital Territory Police Command, on Monday, confirmed the arrest of the Presiding Pastor, House on the Rock, Abuja Chapter, Uche Aigbe, a police officer, Inspector Musa Audu, who had given his AK-47 riffle to the pastor for a demonstration on Sunday, and Chief Security Officer who is yet to be named, The PUNCH reports.
In a Monday evening statement, the FCT Police Public Relations Officer, Josephine Adeh said, “The FCT Police Command on the heels of intelligence arrested one pastor Uche Aigbe of House on the Rock cathedral, Abuja and two others.
“The Pastor whose message and demonstrations were tagged inciting by various media and social media users were arrested in the early hours of Monday, February 13, 2023, alongside the church’s Chief Security Officer and one Inspector Musa Audu, who was on duty on the said day and had unprofessionally released his rifle to the said pastor without permission or recourse to police authority.
“While the discrete investigation has commenced, members of the public are urged to shun actions or utterances that are in breach of extant laws as the law is trite and all violators will be adequately sanctioned.”
The PUNCH had exclusively reported that the CP, FCT Command, Sadiq Abubakar, has made a recommendation to the Inspector-General of Police, Usman Baba, to dismiss Inspector Audu, who will be facing an orderly room trial for handing over his rifle to Pastor Aigbe, on Sunday.
Audu and Aigbe have also been detained by the Intelligence Response Team, Force Intelligence Bureau, Garki, Abuja, on Monday, our correspondent observed during a visit on Monday.
The PUNCH reports that Aigbe had caused a stir on Sunday when he mounted the pulpit carrying an AK-47 rifle during the second service, which frequently has a high turnout of the congregation who comes from different parts of the FCT.
Brandishing the gun, the pastor picked his way to the altar as many members of his congregation exchanged glances trying to understand what was happening.
It was, however, not known if the gun he brandished was loaded or not.
An unflinching Aigbe walked up to the lectern, aware of the tension his action had created, without looking at his worshippers.
But as he made attempt to open his Bible, the preacher looked up and said teasingly, “Some people are looking for my trouble. And I came here prepared.
“Today, there are some pastors with the gift of divination who go about ripping people. This is why we should carry our ‘guns’ and defend ourselves. I will particularly be coming very soon for some of you sleeping in the church.”
His response threw the entire gathering into a fit of laughter as he continued preaching “Guarding your hearts against false teachers and faith without work is dead.”
Meanwhile, sources who spoke to our correspondent on the condition of anonymity on Monday said the police swung into action following a PUNCH Newspaper’s online report on Sunday.
A source said, “We got the report at about 10:50 pm on Sunday on PUNCH Newspaper’s online publication that Pastor Uche Aigbe of House on the Rock Church mounted the pulpit with an AK-47 rifle.
“Our discrete investigation later revealed that a police officer, Inspector Musa Audu, while on church duty on the same day had released his rifle to the pastor without permission.”
Another source further confirmed that the officer had been detained and would be facing an orderly trial.
“The Inspector has been arrested. When he was questioned, he noted that he gave the gun to the pastor for demonstration purposes during church service.
“Audu has now been detained alongside the pastor. But the FCT CP has submitted a recommendation to the IG for Audu’s dismissal, and he will be facing an orderly room trial soon.”
However, sources within House on the Rock Church revealed that the church founder, Pastor Paul Adefarasin, has not been happy with Aigbe concerning the situation, and Aigbe may likely be transferred out of Abuja.
