A Nigerian pastor, Tobi Adegboyega, has denied claims that he is facing deportation from the United Kingdom.
Adegboyega, who recently lost a legal battle regarding deportation over an alleged £1.87 million fraud, described the accusations as baseless and urged they be dismissed.
In December, the UK Charity Commission found “serious misconduct and/or mismanagement” in the administration of his church. An immigration tribunal also ruled that Adegboyega should be deported following investigations into the misuse of church funds.
In an interview with the BBC published on Friday, the founder of the SPAC Nation church refuted the fraud allegations, attributing them to “disgruntled members” of his congregation.
“It is false. They have been on this thing for the past four years. If you have 1,000 people in a place, are you telling me 30 people will not be disgruntled? How on earth do you run an organisation without disgruntled people?” he said.
He also dismissed reports of a deportation order, stating, “There is no deportation order. Let me make that clear.” Adegboyega added that the case remains an ongoing matter and that he has placed his trust in the judges.
Highlighting his church’s impact, Adegboyega said it has contributed significantly to community safety by removing hundreds of knives from the streets and tackling gun violence.
“We believe in a practical approach to help a community – young people coming out of low socio-economic backgrounds, taking them out of crime,” he explained.
Addressing criticism of his lavish lifestyle, Adegboyega stated that he wears luxury items to resonate with the younger generation and steer them away from negative influences.
“I put on what is right, what connects to the generation I’m speaking to, so they are not attracted to drug dealers,” he said.
Reflecting on his immigration status, the pastor revealed that he arrived in the UK in 2005 on a visitor’s visa at the age of 25 but failed to regularise his stay, assuming his family was handling the paperwork. “I lost track of time,” he admitted, referring to the nearly decade-long delay in addressing his immigration status.
