Tension as pastor carries AK-47 to altar during sermon

A Nigerian clergyman has sparked conversation after he brandished an AK-47 rifle on the pulpit during the sermon.

Pastor Uche Aigbe of the House on the Rock church in the capital Abuja mounted the pulpit carrying the rifle on Sunday, causing a stir among congregants.

It was not until the man of cloth revealed that the gun was to illustrate the day’s message.

According to a Facebook post put up by the church on Saturday, the theme of the service would be being “on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be courageous; be strong”.

Pastor Aigbe began by saying he “came prepared” to face any trouble, and went ahead to warn faithful against falling for rogue preachers who are extorting people in the name of prophesy.

“There are some pastors who are operating under the spirit of divination. They know how to read palms and are not different from palm readers. They can look at you and tell you about your past, things that happened many years ago in your family tree and you think this is a prophet,” he is seen saying in a video of the service shared online.

“How many people in Jesus’ lifetime did Jesus tell about their past? There are certain things that have nothing to do with the gospel. God is not a magician and does not use your past to manipulate you. That is why we need to carry our guns and defend our faith,” he added.

Although it was not established if the rifle was loaded, the Nigeria Police Force has spoken out on the incident, saying it will investigate the pastor.

Olumuyiwa Adejobi, the Force’s Public Relations Officer, said AK-47 rifles fall under the prohibited firearms in the West African state and only certain law enforcement officers are allowed to do carry them.

In a series of tweets, Adejobi termed the incident as “shocking” and said the case had been forwarded to higher authorities for investigations.

“…if its true, the pastor will have a case to answer. AK47??. 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, selected sec operatives, but no individual has the right to bear it,” he wrote.