The Commissioner of Police, Federal Capital Territory Command, Sadiq Abubakar, has recommended to Inspector‑General of Police Usman Baba that Inspector Musa Audu be dismissed. Audu is set to face an orderly‑room trial for handing his rifle to Uche Aigbe, the presiding pastor of House on the Rock, Abuja Chapter, on Sunday, according to exclusive reports. Both Audu and Pastor Aigbe were detained by the Intelligence Response Team, Force Intelligence Bureau, Garki, Abuja, on Monday, as observed by our correspondent during a visit.
Aigbe caused a stir on Sunday when he took the pulpit carrying an AK‑47 rifle during the second service, which typically draws a large, diverse congregation from across the FCT. As he brandished the gun, members exchanged puzzled glances, unsure of what was happening. It remains unclear whether the rifle was loaded. Undeterred, Aigbe walked to the lectern, aware of the tension his actions had created, and opened his Bible. He then remarked, “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 comments elicited laughter from the gathering as he continued preaching on “Guarding your hearts from false teachers” and “Faith without work is dead.”
Sources who spoke anonymously on Monday said the police acted after the incident was reported online at about 10:50 p.m. on Sunday. Their investigation revealed that Inspector Musa Audu, while on church duty, had handed his rifle to the pastor without permission. Audu has been arrested and, when questioned, claimed he gave the gun to the pastor for demonstration purposes during the service. He is now detained alongside Aigbe and will face an orderly‑room trial. The FCT Commissioner has submitted a recommendation for Audu’s dismissal.
Within House on the Rock, sources indicated that church founder Pastor Paul Adefarasin is displeased with Aigbe, and the pastor may be transferred out of Abuja. Senior church members were reportedly angry with Aigbe throughout the day, and he has not been himself since the incident became public.
When contacted, FCT Police Public Relations Officer Josephine Adeh said she would update the correspondent on the case’s progress: “We’re on the case; I’ll get back to you soon.” Force Public Relations Officer Olumuyiwa Adejobi, who tweeted on Sunday and Monday, confirmed that an investigation had been launched and that the Inspector General had ordered the FCT CP to handle the matter. “We have requested the video of the service to hear what the pastor was saying. How did he get the gun, maybe from a security agent? He has been invited by the CP FCT. The IGP has ordered the CP to handle it and revert, so that Nigerians will know what transpired,” Adejobi wrote on Monday. In an earlier tweet, he warned, “If it’s true, the pastor will have a case to answer. AK‑47? It falls under prohibited firearms in Nigeria, and no one bears it except an officer of the law, and not all of them have the right—only selected security operatives, but no individual has the right to bear it.”
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