AK-47: Police arrest Abuja pastor, inspector detained for giving out rifle

The police command in the federal capital territory (FCT) says it has arrested Uche Aigbe, a pastor who mounted the pulpit carrying an AK-47 rifle.

Josephine Adeh, FCT spokesperson, disclosed the arrest in a statement on Monday.

BACKGROUND

On Sunday, videos and pictures surfaced on social media showing Aigbe, the presiding pastor of the House on the Rock Church in Abuja, with an AK-47 rifle while preaching.

“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 off,” Aigbe told worshippers.

“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.”

Reacting to the incident, Muyiwa Adejobi, force spokesperson, said the police would investigate, adding that the AK-47 rifle falls under prohibited firearms in Nigeria.

‘POLICE INSPECTOR ARRESTED FOR GIVING RIFLE TO CLERIC‘

The FCT police spokesperson said Musa Audu, a police inspector said to have handed over his rifle to the cleric, was arrested.

The church’s chief security officer was also arrested.

“The pastor whose message and demonstrations were tagged inciting by various media and social media users was arrested in the early hours of Monday 13th February 2023, alongside the church 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,” the spokesperson said.

“While discreet investigation has commenced, members of the public are urged to shun actions or utterances that is in breach of extant laws as the law is trite and all violators will be adequately sanctioned.”