Popular Nigerian pastor Tobi Adegboyega, founder of the now-defunct SPAC Nation, is set to be deported to Nigeria following a ruling by a UK Immigration Tribunal.
The decision comes after allegations of financial misconduct and years of controversy surrounding his ministry.
Adegboyega’s church was shut down after investigations revealed the misuse of over £1.87 million in church funds.
The UK’s Charity Commission and the High Court flagged concerns over SPAC Nation’s financial activities and lack of transparency, prompting authorities to close the church.
According to The Telegraph, Adegboyega, who arrived in the UK on a visitor’s visa in 2005, has lived unlawfully in the country for years. In 2019, he applied for leave to remain under the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR), citing his right to family life as he is married to a British citizen.
His application was initially dismissed by a first-tier tribunal, and his appeal was later rejected. The UK Home Office argued that Adegboyega’s activities did not justify his stay, citing serious allegations against his church.
The tribunal judgment noted, “Various manifestations of [Mr Adegboyega’s] church have been closed down, by either the Charity Commission or the High Court, because of concerns over its finances and lack of transparency. Former members of the church have alleged that it is a cult, in which 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 also highlighted the lavish lifestyles allegedly led by the church leadership and reports of abuse, challenging Adegboyega’s claim of positive community impact. “The [Home Office’s] case before us was that all of this needs to be taken into account when evaluating whether [Mr Adegboyega] is in fact of real value to the UK,” the ruling stated.
Adegboyega denied the allegations, describing claims that SPAC Nation was a cult as unfounded and politically motivated attacks.
