Embattled Nigerian pastor Tobi Adegboyega has firmly rejected claims that he is facing imminent deportation from the UK, where his church is under scrutiny for alleged financial misconduct.
In an interview with the BBC on Friday, Pastor Adegboyega, leader of SPAC Nation (now known as Nation Family), stated: “There is no deportation order. Let me make that clear.” He further clarified that the ongoing legal proceedings were still an “active issue.”
The pastor, who reportedly arrived at the BBC’s central London offices in a Lamborghini with a G-Wagon SUV accompanying his entourage, explained that he came to the UK in 2005 on a visitor’s visa at the age of 25. He claimed that his family had been managing his immigration paperwork, but he lost track of time, leading to a delay in formalizing his immigration status.
He also stated that it would be “impossible” for him to move his church to Nigeria if he were deported.
In December, the UK Charity Commission launched an investigation into the financial operations of his church, alleging “serious misconduct and/or mismanagement” in its administration. Pastor Adegboyega vehemently denied these allegations. “It is false. They’ve been investigating this for four years,” he said.
This is not the first time the church has faced allegations. A 2019 BBC Panorama investigation claimed that SPAC Nation had been involved in financially exploiting young members. Some claimed they were pressured into taking out loans and engaging in benefit fraud to make donations to the church. Pastor Adegboyega denied these allegations, stating, “If you have 1,000 people in a place, are you telling me 30 people won’t be disgruntled? How on earth do you run an organization without disgruntled people?”
The Christian evangelical church, which was established in 2012 as a charity to support vulnerable individuals, combat gun violence, and assist young offenders, has been praised for its community outreach. Pastor Adegboyega boasted of his church’s success in removing hundreds of knives from the streets and providing support to young people from disadvantaged backgrounds, steering them away from crime.
Addressing criticisms of his luxurious lifestyle, which includes designer clothes, expensive jewelry, and high-end watches, Pastor Adegboyega defended his choices, stating, “I wear what is right for the generation I’m speaking to, so they are not attracted to drug dealers.”
