UK to Deport Nigerian Pastor, Tobi Adegboyega Over £1.87m Fraud
Immigration Tribunal Rejects Claims of Community Impact
A Nigerian pastor has lost his legal battle against deportation, with a UK immigration tribunal ruling that Tobi Adegboyega should be removed from the country following serious allegations of financial misconduct and lack of transparency in his church operations.
Adegboyega, 44, who heads the controversial SPAC Nation church, was found to have overstayed his UK visa since 2005 and failed to convince the tribunal that his deportation would breach his human rights or significantly impact his community work.
The tribunal heard damning evidence against Adegboyega, including allegations that his church encouraged impoverished young people to donate money through extreme methods, including taking out large loans, committing benefit fraud, and even “selling their own blood”.
Charity Commission investigations revealed serious financial mismanagement, with the church failing to account for over £1.87 million in outgoings. The tribunal described the pastor’s evidence as “hyperbolic” and rejected his claims of widespread community support.
Despite Adegboyega’s assertions that his work had been praised by politicians like Boris Johnson and Metropolitan Police figures, no substantiating testimony was presented to the court.
The ruling marks a decisive moment for SPAC Nation, a church that has been shut down by authorities due to ongoing concerns about its financial practices and alleged cult-like operations.
Adegboyega’s legal team argued that his deportation would disrupt crucial community projects, but the tribunal found these claims unconvincing. They concluded that the church’s work would likely continue even without his personal presence in the UK.
The pastor, who is married to a British woman, had claimed deportation would breach his right to family life. However, the tribunal determined that his family relationships were established while he was in the UK unlawfully and would survive his return to Nigeria.
Adegboyega now faces return to Nigeria, bringing an end to his nearly two-decade presence in the United Kingdom and the controversial ministry of SPAC Nation.
