The management of House on the Rock has explained that its Abuja Pastor, Uche Aigbe carried the AK 47 rifle while delivering a message titled, “Guarding your faith” to illustrate fighting the good fight with spiritual weapons.
The church made this known in a statement being circulated on social media platforms on Monday February 13.
It will be recalled that Pastor Aigbe was arrested on Monday February 13 by the police for wielding a gun while preaching in church on Sunday February 12.
The police noted that the Pastor’s message and demonstrations were tagged inciting by various media and social media users. He was arrested alongside the Church Chief Security Officer and one Inspector Musa Audu,
The Command said Audu was on duty on the said day and had released his rifle to the said pastor without permission or recourse to police authority.
But the church in its statement said the gun was an “unloaded gun”
According to the church Pastor Aigbe has been a leader in the church since 1999 and had shown exemplary leadership.
“He however realises that even with the best of intentions carrying a gun to illustrate his message was ill-advised and regrettable”
The statement noted that the Pastor regrets his actions and has apologised for them adding that the church abhors all forms of violence.
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House on the Rock informs further that it is cooperating fully with the police as the matter is being investigated.
It assured that it will continue to engage internally to ensure that “this break in protocol does not happen again”
Social media has since been inundated with the picture of Pastor Aigbe wielding gun with people making disparaging comments about the church and the posture of the pastor. The police has also warned that the public should be shun unguarded statements as the matter is being investigated.