I'm not afraid of deportation; two shoes can sustain me for years in Nigeria

Controversial UK-based Nigerian pastor Tobi Adegboyega, founder of the defunct SPAC Nation church, has addressed controversies surrounding his immigration status, asserting that even if deported, he would thrive in Nigeria.

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On Friday, the cleric, who the UK government accused of financial impropriety, addressed the allegations during an interview with media personality Daddy Freeze.

PREMIUM TIMES reported in December that the cleric was said to risk deportation following a report by The Telegraph UK, which alleged that the publicity-loving pastor was enmeshed in £1.87M fraud allegations.

However, in the interview with Daddy Freeze, the controversial cleric outrightly debunked the allegations and expressed frustration over the scrutiny he has faced, particularly from Nigerians.

“I also don’t understand the order because I’ve not paid attention to any immigration rules for a minute. But the question is, to Nigerians, deportation, how does that? I’m not your government official. I don’t lead your country. I’m not your artist because your artists still love them, as you know. But you made them, sponsored them, and bought their albums.

“What’s my own with you? That was my own. I have personal battles, and that becomes your battle. If I were your government official or your current government, I would be a citizen of the country I need and want to be. Because money makes you have choices,” he said.

He elaborated on his unwavering connection to Nigeria, stating that he is unbothered by the possibility of returning.

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“So if I have to, why would I be afraid of coming to Nigeria? I’m proud of Nigeria. And the current government is doing well. Anybody who thinks otherwise can jump off the cliff.

“That’s my own opinion. I’m not going to take that out. If I arrive in Nigeria, I will come with a cavalry of outstanding young men and women, and we will live way better than we are living in our assignment ground. I don’t need to stress about how to have money in Nigeria. Two shoes, three maybe, will sustain me for three years,” he said.

“I lost track of time”

The pastor further addressed claims during a BBC interview, denying reports of an immigration tribunal’s decision supporting his deportation.

“There is no deportation order; let me clarify that,” he stated. “The next step is already done, meaning there is a court case already.”

He also admitted to overstaying his visitor visa after arriving in the UK in 2005, explaining that it was due to a misunderstanding about his immigration status. “I lost track of time, and I had assumed my family was handling the paperwork,” he said.

Despite accusations, Mr Adegboyega dismissed them as baseless and attributed them to disgruntled former church members. “In any organisation with 1,000 people, some will be disgruntled. That doesn’t mean the allegations are valid,” he said.

When asked if he would move his church to Nigeria when deported, Mr Adegboyega said, “It’s impossible.

“My organisation is here; it is everywhere. To move it to anywhere else is to leave people to keep killing themselves. So no, we are not going to move the organisation. We will establish more and find what we need to do.”

Background

In December, a report by The Telegraph UK started making rounds. The news broke out on Tuesday following the report, which alleged that the publicity-loving pastor was enmeshed in fraud allegations.

The reports claimed that a tribunal decision had led to his deportation from the UK.

According to The Telegraph UK, the tribunal considered allegations by former members to decide whether Mr Adegboyega was of real value to the UK.

The tribunal said the leaders of SPAC Nation lead lavish lifestyles, and cases of abuse were reported.

Additionally, the paper said Mr Adegboyega had lived in the UK illegally since 2005, when he overstayed his visitor visa.

The reports also detailed allegations from former church members, who accused the organisation of exploiting vulnerable youth, encouraging them to donate money through dubious means, including taking loans.

However, Mr Adegboyega has consistently denied these claims, asserting they are politically motivated.

Tobi Adegboyega’s defence

Mr Adegboyega based his defence on the European Convention of Human Rights (ECHR) on the right to family life. He said having married a British citizen, a deportation order would breach these rights.

Mr Adegboyega’s legal team argued that his charitable works positively impacted the lives of “many hundreds of young people, predominantly from the black communities in London.”

He said his presence in the UK is crucial to continuing the charitable works.

He added that these works were recognised and praised by top Metropolitan Police officers and politicians, including Boris Johnson, a former UK Prime Minister.

The Telegraph UK reports that his legal team did not submit testimonies from Boris Johnson or top Metropolitan Police officers to the court.

Mr Adegboyega insisted that while no one had ever faced criminal charges over his church’s finances, many of the attacks on him and SPAC Nation were politically motivated and that claims it was a cult were unfounded.

However, the tribunal ruled that Mr Adegboyega’s evidence was blown out of proportion and that he had “sought to inflate his influence grossly”.

SPAC Nation

SPAC Nation, also known as Nation Family, was established in 2012 as a charity to help vulnerable people but is now deemed insolvent. The UK government shut down the church, based in Croydon, South London, in 2022 due to its failure to account for funds and a lack of transparency in its operations. The church had already been embroiled in controversies.

A BBC Panorama documentary further alleged claims of financial irregularities and undue pressure placed on members to make significant monetary contributions and even claims that young congregants were encouraged to sell their blood to meet economic demands.

Allegations from former members also highlighted instances of financial exploitation by church leaders.

In May 2020, Mr Adegboyega stepped down as the Lead Pastor of SPAC Nation, handing over the church’s leadership to Samuel Akokhia.

Mr Adegboyega’s personal life has also drawn public attention. He reportedly resided in a £2.5 million mansion in Surrey and revealed in a 2020 interview that he had been married for eight years.

During his early days in the UK, he shared a room with his cousin, British-Nigerian actor John Boyega, known for his role in Star Wars. Mr Adegboyega worked as a kitchen porter before turning pastor.