The Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Olohundare Jimoh, has said that it is an offence to use a stun gun to threaten anyone or cause fear in the mind of another person.
He made the revelation after the recent case involving the Senior Pastor of House on the Rock Church, Paul Adefarasin and a content creator.
Speaking during an interview on Channels TV’s Sunrise Daily programme, Jimoh revealed that pointing a stun gun at someone else and using it to spark fear in whoever the gun is facing constitutes a serious offence according to the law.
He stated that under the Fire Arms Act, if anyone holds a metal or wood, and pretends it is a gun to obtain someone else’s property, such a person can be charged with armed robbery.
“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,” he said.
Jimoh noted that a letter of invitation was sent to Pastor Paul Adefarasin after the video went viral, and if he had failed to honour it, a warrant for his arrest would have been issued.
According to him, however, the clergyman turned himself in and was questioned by a team of investigators, which led to the discovery that he was actually holding a stun gun, a weapon that is not considered lethal.
He, however, mentioned that while the stun gun is not a dangerous weapon, it is a prohibited riot equipment in Nigeria.
“So, the police are doing everything in line with the law.
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 (as to) why he pointed such to another individual,” Jimoh said.
The Lagos State Commissioner of Police further shared that the content creator in the viral clip will also be invited to give a statement regarding the incident.
He concluded by saying that despite the bail he was granted, Pastor Paul Adefarasin is still under investigation.
“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 added.
