The UK has announced plans to deport popular Nigerian pastor, Tobi Adegboyega after he lost his case against deportation at the immigration tribunal.
Adegboyega arrived in UK in 2005 on a visitor’s visa and ever since then, he lived there unlawfully. However, In 2019, the pastor applied for leave to remain under ECHR’s right to a family life but his application was initially dismissed by a first-tier immigration tribunal before he appealed.
According to reports from The Punch, Adegboyega’s church has been shut down, and he is currently facing deportation proceedings.
Report also revealed Adegboyega failed to give account for more than £1.87 million of outgoings, which led the UK authorities to shut down his church.
Adeboyega claimed that no one had ever faced criminal charges over his church’s finances, stating that his deportation would breach his human rights.
After several investigations, The Telegraph, an immigration tribunal ruled that he should be deported back to Nigeria.
The judgment reads, “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.
“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.”
“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.
Adegboyega has gained a significant following in the UK and Nigeria, and this news has come as a shock to many of his supporters.
