The senior pastor of the House on the Rock, Abuja, Pastor Uche Aigbe, has apologized unequivocally to his congregation and the entire Nigerian people on Sunday for mounting the pulpit with an empty AK-47 gun.
Religion Nigeria reported that the action of the cleric drew mixed reactions from Nigerians, many of which knocked the cleric for his extremities.
In a recent development, Pastor Aigbe expressed regret that he did not understand the consequences of bringing the rifle to illustrate a biblical reading before making the decision.
While apologizing for the embarrassment he caused the church, he stated that he made the choice to mount the pulpit with a gun without giving it a second thought.
He said, “This morning I stand before you with a deep sense of sobriety and contrition as I humbly address the event of last Sunday at the second service which most of us were part of, where I used an unloaded firearm to illustrate some texts from the Bible regarding the good fight of faith.
“Of course, like you all know, it has caused a lot of embarrassment and pain to the entire church family, to you House on the Rock (The Refuge), to my immediate family and, of course, to myself. The decision that I made to use that firearm was not thoughtful. It has left me disappointed in myself. My action has been very traumatic for me, my family and, I am sure, for many of us. And I trust that we will never ever experience such again.”
It would also be recalled that following the incident, the cleric was invited by the Nigerian Police Force, Abuja command for questioning.