Pastor Tobi Adegboyega
By Akeem Atoyebi
Life for Tobi Adegboyega, a London- based Nigerian pastor and former head of the controversial SPAC Nation church is on the upward swing.
He was said to have travelled to the United Kingdom with a visitor’s visa in 2005 and ever since then assumed the colour of notoriety in view of controversy around him and his church activity in England.
Many of his critics have only drawn a thin line between crime and church activity, but he says his critics got it wrong, explaining that his extravagant lifestyle of exotic cars, expensive Swiss watches, designer shoes and clothes and conspicuous pleasure which cast him in the leisure class more than the pulpit is a strategy to draw away young men from life of crime. Many differ, citing revelation of criminality now under investigation to fund his amazing lifestyle of riches and luxury.
No one can deny that he is a phenomenon of a different kind, cast in the garb of a debonair pastor but acts like a rock star and the amazing aspect of it all is that he lives like an overclass.
Currently under investigation by the British government for alleged financial malfeasance,
allegedly bordering on financial mismanagement and a lack of transparency in the church’s operations.
SPAC Nation, which catered to predominantly young Black communities in London, was shut down after failing to account for £1.87 million in outgoings.
Adegboyega, 44, is said to be a cousin of Star Wars actor John Boyega.
The British government has levelled some allegations against him which includes perception that Adegboyega’s church functions as a cult where impoverished young people were pressured to donate money by any means necessary.
This included taking out substantial loans, committing benefit fraud, and even selling their own blood.
Annually, the super rich pastor throws a birthday party that brings A- list celebrities- actors, actresses and musicians from Nigeria to celebrate his birthday in a grandiose manner where the food course can make Hollywood’s party pales into insignificance.
As attempt to deport him is in court, the controversial clerk who is just clocked 44 has argued that his deportation would breach his human rights under the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR).
Adegboyega has lost his bid to remain in the United Kingdom after an immigration tribunal ruled in favour of his deportation to Nigeria.
Though he had earlier made a case that the deportation would breach his human rights under the European Convention on Human Rights.
The pastor, who is married to a British woman, claimed the Home Office failed to account for his contributions to the community through his work with SPAC Nation.
The tribunal dismissed his claims, citing findings from investigations, including a report by The Telegraph, that revealed financial mismanagement and a lack of transparency in the church’s operations.
SPAC Nation, which catered for predominantly young Black communities in London, was shut down after failing to account for £1.87 million in outgoings.
Described by his legal team as a “charismatic leader” who helped steer hundreds of young people away from crime, Adegboyega’s defence emphasised his positive influence on the community.
The Telegraph reports that Mr. Adegboyega claimed his work had been “lauded” by figures such as Boris Johnson and senior members of the Metropolitan Police.
However, no testimonies from these individuals were presented to the court.
Adegboyega had also argued that without his presence in London, the projects he spearheaded would falter or diminish.
The tribunal, however, was informed by the Home Office that “all is not as it seems.”
According to the judgment, “Various manifestations of [Mr. Adegboyega’s] church have been closed down by either the Charity Commission or the High Court due to concerns over its finances and lack of transparency.”
The judgment noted allegations that SPAC Nation, the church founded by Mr. Adegboyega, functioned as a cult where impoverished young people were pressured to donate money by any means necessary.
This included taking out substantial loans, committing benefit fraud, and even selling their own blood.
The church leadership was accused of leading extravagant lifestyles, with further claims of abuse within the organization.
The Home Office argued that such allegations must be considered when assessing Mr. Adegboyega’s value to the UK.
Adegboyega has lived in the UK unlawfully since overstaying a visitor’s visa granted in 2005.
Meanwhile, in 2019, he applied for leave to remain under the European Convention on Human Rights’ (ECHR) right to a family life, but his application was initially rejected by an immigration tribunal.
During his appeal, Mr. Adegboyega insisted that no criminal charges had ever been filed regarding the church’s finances.
However, he also claimed that allegations of SPAC Nation being a cult were politically motivated and baseless.
Despite his defence, the tribunal was informed that the Charity Commission found “serious misconduct and/or mismanagement in the administration of the charity over a substantial period.”
The tribunal also described Adegboyega’s evidence as “hyperbolic” and an attempt to “grossly inflate his influence,” finding it unlikely that he personally managed all the work he claimed to.
The tribunal concluded that the refusal of his application for leave to remain was “wholly proportionate.”
It stated: “We are not satisfied that the good work SPAC Nation undertakes generally would collapse or even significantly suffer should the Appellant be required to leave the UK.
“Mr. Adegboyega seeks to rely on family and private life relationships, all of which were established while he was in the UK unlawfully and which would survive his return to Nigeria.
The interference would therefore be limited and lawful in all the circumstances.”
In a research conducted by BBC in 2019, it was observed that Adegboyega, in collaboration with five other pastors (the generals) working with him, has helped many young people to lay down their arms and take up the bible as well as other worthy and rewarding businesses for a greater and better future, and of course many testimonies abound. Each of the pastors runs one of five churches across the capital.
Like every stylish preacher, Adegboyega attracts condemnation from most people who do not know how his church is run. But he affirmed that he has not taken anybody’s or church’s money, his flashy lifestyle notwithstanding.
His denials came in the wake of claims by young followers that they have been left in thousands of pounds of debt, calling to question the church’s inner workings. But PT explains, bringing to the fore the reasons the church and its pastors sort of appear ostentatious:
“We realised young people need help. That help may be getting into college, or getting out of a gang.
“I realised that to connect with the generation you have to look like them.
“What are they looking for? Why are they attracted to drill rap? They want the shoes, and the clothes.
“We thought we’re going to do the same thing, and wear what they wear, then we’ll pass on the right message.
“I can easily pull up in a nice car among secondary school kids who may be about to start selling drugs. They ask what I do and I get them engaged.
“Once I get their attention I can pass on the right message, and tell them they’ll make money by changing their lives. We had to attract them.”
Adegboyega, himself, a pastor’s son and trained lawyer, has truly exhibited charisma in everything he has been engaged in, especially in the way he has been getting the young ones to jettison a life of crime and gangsterism to embrace the loving Word of God and genuine business. He is far from the typical everyday minister.
He said: “SPAC is a very different kind of church. It’s not your typical church.
“We tell them there’s something better, whether that’s a start-up business, or education – if they weren’t part of our church many would be in prison, or dead.”
The wealth on display, apparently is also a cause for concern, given the vulnerability of many youngsters looking for a better way of life. Tobi believes that instead of allowing the youngsters seek good life through crime, it were better they are introduced to Christ, using all the trappings of the good life they envisaged.
In his church are neatly arranged rows of weapons, mostly knives, which have been surrendered by repented gangsters and small time criminals in what appears like a gangster movie.
While the church denies all allegations, vulnerable teens have opined that extortion reign supreme in the church in as much BBC reporter said she saw otherwise ‘when I spent a Sunday there’.
Tobi’s SPAC is another fortress with hefty looking and well dressed security men in their numbers, surveying and parading the length and breath of the church. The measure, the church explains, is necessary because of the likelihood of persons coming in with weapons.
“We have very strong security measures in place. My first duty is to make everyone feel safe. The security we have, they are also from that background, so they know to sit certain people in separate areas.
“We’ve had arguments and near clashes but no one’s been beaten up because of our security.
“We have briefings every week. The head of our security has served in the military and one is an ex-policeman. We don’t do searches but we’re always keeping an eye out.
“People do bring weapons, but most do it to submit it to the church.”
He insisted that people come into the church with weapons only to surrender them. This sometimes is a consequence of appeals and admonitions overtime. He added that at sometime, guns were recovered as well as drugs.
“We’ve had guns once in a while. We’ve had a guy hand in four guns. He is still one of the leaders in church now. He said he wouldn’t go to the corner shop without a gun because he was so afraid people wanted to get him.”
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