Senior Pastor and Founder of House on the Rock Church, Paul Adefarasin, has responded to a widely circulated video that appeared to show him holding a firearm while seated in a vehicle. The short clip, which went viral on social media on Friday, sparked significant controversy and criticism.
The 10-second footage was initially shared by a Lagos-based content creator known for capturing footage of luxury and exotic vehicles. According to the videographer, the 62-year-old clergyman allegedly pointed a gun at him for filming his car.
In the video, a black Range Rover is seen slowing down near the content creator, who greets Adefarasin as the vehicle’s tinted window rolls down. The pastor appears to respond sternly while holding an object that many viewers speculated to be a pistol. The content creator is then heard apologizing as the vehicle pulls away.
The video quickly gained traction online, drawing backlash from social media users who accused Adefarasin of openly brandishing a firearm in public.
However, in a statement released on Saturday evening via his social media platforms, Adefarasin firmly denied the allegations. He clarified that the object in question was not a weapon and that he had never pointed anything threatening at the content creator.
“You might be aware of a video which has been circulating on social media showing me in what some have misunderstood as brandishing a firearm,” his statement read. “I want to assure you of this — that, that was certainly not a firearm, and at no point did I point such at anyone.”
He further described the incident as an act of “mischief” and suggested that it had been misrepresented online. Adefarasin added that he would touch briefly on the matter during Sunday’s church service scheduled to begin at 9 a.m.
