Nigerian pastor Tobi Adegboyega faces deportation from UK over ‘£1.87m fraud’

Tobi Adegboyega, founder of the SPAC Nation church, has reportedly lost his battle against deportation from the UK over an alleged £1.87 million fraud.

According to The Telegraph, an immigration tribunal has ruled that Adegboyega be deported to Nigeria after investigations exposed misuse of funds by his church.

The newspaper reports that the pastor has lived in the UK unlawfully since overstaying on a visitor’s visa secured in 2005.

In 2019, he applied for leave to remain under the European Convention of Human Rights (ECHR) — having married a British woman.

His application was initially dismissed by a first-tier immigration tribunal before he appealed.

“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,” the tribunal ruled.

The tribunal also stated that former church members accused Adegboyega of running the denomination like a cult.

“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.

“It is alleged that the church leadership lead lavish lifestyles and there have, it is said, been instances of abuse. 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.”

ADEGBOYEGA FIGHTS DEPORTATION

Adegboyega has protested his planned deportation, pleading that the community work and charity he has undertaken would be severely impacted should he leave the UK.

However, the tribunal ruled that: “We are not satisfied that the good work that SPAC Nation undertakes generally would collapse or even significantly suffer should the Appellant be required to leave the UK.

“Weighing all of the foregoing in the balance, we conclude that the decision to refuse leave to remain was wholly proportionate.

“[Mr Adegboyega] seeks to rely on family and private life relationships, all of which have been established whilst 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.”

The 44-year-old pastor is the cousin of John Boyega, the Hollywood actor.

The charismatic preacher has repeatedly been accused of leading a lavish, ritzy lifestyle and running SPAC Nation without transparency or accountability.

In 2020, SPAC Nation was accused of exploiting young and vulnerable people, coercing victims into securing sham loans and withdrawing funds from overdrafts to help fill the church’s coffers.

Members of Parliament (MPs) had complained that several church members have been left with thousands of pounds in debt.