Embattled Nigerian pastor Tobi Adegboyega has refuted claims that he is facing deportation from the UK, where his church, SPAC Nation (now known as Nation Family), is under scrutiny over allegations of financial misconduct.
In an interview with the BBC, Pastor Adegboyega stated emphatically, “There is no deportation order. Let me make that clear,” adding that the legal matters involving his church remain “ongoing.”
The pastor, who reportedly arrived at the BBC’s central London office in a Lamborghini alongside a Mercedes G-Wagon for his entourage, explained that he first came to the UK in 2005 at the age of 25 on a visitor’s visa. He said he assumed his family was handling his immigration paperwork, leading to a nearly decade-long delay in regularizing his status. “I lost track of time,” he admitted.
Pastor Adegboyega also dismissed speculation that he could move his church to Nigeria if deported, calling it “impossible.”
Allegations of Financial Misconduct
In December, the UK Charity Commission published findings of “serious misconduct and/or mismanagement” within SPAC Nation. However, Adegboyega rejected the accusations, saying, “It is false. They have been on this thing for the past four years.”
This isn’t the first time the church has been in the spotlight. A 2019 BBC Panorama investigation alleged that SPAC Nation had financially exploited young members of its congregation. Some members claimed they were pressured to take out loans or engage in benefit fraud to donate money to the church. SPAC Nation denied these accusations at the time.
Responding to such allegations, Adegboyega said, “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 organization without disgruntled people?”
Community Efforts and Criticism of Lifestyle
Founded in 2012 as a UK charity, SPAC Nation initially aimed to help vulnerable individuals, tackle gang violence, and support young offenders. Adegboyega claimed the church had helped remove hundreds of knives from the streets and guided young people away from lives of crime. “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.
The pastor also addressed criticism of his extravagant lifestyle, marked by designer clothing, expensive jewelry, and luxury watches. Defending his choices, he said, “I put on what is right, what connects to the generation I’m speaking to so they are not attracted to drug dealers.”
Despite ongoing controversies, Pastor Adegboyega remains defiant, continuing to lead Nation Family and challenge allegations against himself and his church.
