Why Call a Device a Weapon? — Pastor Adefarasin’s Church Fires Back

The church, founded by Pastor Paul Adefarasin and headquartered in Lekki, Lagos, has strongly pushed back against a public statement by the police that labeled a piece of its church equipment, a strobe-light stinger as a “prohibited anti-riot device.”

House on the Rock Church isn’t keeping quiet after what it calls a serious misstep by the Lagos State Police Command.

The situation began when the Lagos police, via their official Twitter account, referred to the church’s lighting device as if it were a weapon. But the leadership at House on the Rock isn’t having any of it.

In a statement released by its Media Department, the church made it clear that what was described as a weapon was simply part of the visual technology used during its services. 

The strobe-light stinger, according to the church, is standard lighting equipment commonly used for stage effects and does not fall under any known category of weapons, let alone one that should be classified as “anti-riot.”

“To mislabel such a device as a prohibited weapon is not only inaccurate, but also misleading,” the statement read.

Though the church kept its tone respectful, it didn’t hide its disappointment. It expressed hope that the Lagos State Police Command would handle such matters with greater professionalism and courtesy moving forward, a subtle but pointed reminder that reputations and public trust are on the line when law enforcement speaks.

The church also emphasized that it remains committed to supporting law enforcement and peace in society, but insisted that clarity and context should never be sacrificed in public communications, especially when dealing with sensitive subjects.