Prominent Nigerian pastor, Tobi Adegboyega, is on the brink of deportation after losing a high-profile legal battle with the UK government at an immigration tribunal.
This comes after the closure of his controversial church, SPAC Nation, following damning revelations of financial misconduct.
Investigations unearthed discrepancies in the management of over £1.87 million, prompting UK authorities to shut down the church.
The immigration tribunal has now ruled against Adegboyega, citing his inability to justify his presence in the UK.
Adegboyega, who entered the UK on a visitor’s visa in 2005, has lived unlawfully in the country ever since.
In 2019, he sought to regularize his stay under the European Convention of Human Rights (ECHR), claiming the right to family life.
Despite being married to a British woman and citing his community work with SPAC Nation, his application was rejected.
The Home Office, however, raised doubts, stating that “all is not as it seems.” Their case, supported by allegations of financial mismanagement and disturbing reports from former church members, painted a grim picture. The tribunal judgment detailed accusations that SPAC Nation operated like a cult, with claims that “impoverished young people are encouraged to do anything they can to donate money, including taking out large loans, committing benefit fraud, and even selling their own blood.”
The Home Office argued that the church’s leadership, including Adegboyega, enjoyed extravagant lifestyles at the expense of its followers.
They further contended that such actions diminished any potential value Adegboyega might bring to the UK.
Responding to the tribunal, Adegboyega dismissed the allegations, insisting that accusations of SPAC Nation being a cult were baseless and politically motivated.
However, the tribunal’s decision marks a significant turning point in his controversial stay in the UK.