The British Government is set to deport popular pastor, Tobi Adegboyega, to Nigeria after losing his case against deportation at the immigration tribunal.

PUNCH Online reports that the UK government had shut down his church, SPAC Nation, after investigations exposed a misuse of funds by the church leadership.

It was gathered that the UK authorities closed the church after Adegboyega failed to properly account for more than £1.87 million of outgoings and operating with a lack of transparency.

However, according to The Telegraph, an immigration tribunal ruled that he should be deported back to Nigeria after investigations.

After arriving on a visitor’s visa in 2005, Adegboyega has lived in the UK unlawfully ever since.

In 2019, the pastor applied for leave to remain under ECHR’s right to a family life.

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

Having been married to a British woman, the pastor claimed deportation would breach his right under the European Convention of Human Rights to a family life and failed to consider his community work with SPAC.

His legal team described him as a ‘charismatic’ community leader of a large, well-organised church who had ‘intervened in the lives of many hundreds of young people, predominantly from the black communities in London, to lead them away from trouble’.

Politicians including former Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, and senior figures within the Metropolitan Police had ‘lauded’ his work, he claimed, but no testimony by them was submitted to the court.

However, the Home Office contended ‘all is not as it seems’ and dragged him before an immigration tribunal.

However, according to the judgment as quoted by The Telegraph, the tribunal said evidences against the Nigerian pastor were taken to consideration.

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.”

Speaking at the tribunal, Adegboyega said that claims that his chruch was a cult was unfounded and attacks on him and the church were politically motivated.

He also maintained no one had ever faced criminal charges over his church’s finances, adding that his deportation would breach his human rights.

However, the tribunal was told the Charity Commission concluded “there had been serious misconduct and/or mismanagement in the administration of the charity which was sustained over a substantial period of time.”

The tribunal also found Adegboyega’s evidence to be “hyperbolic in many instances’ and had ‘sought to grossly inflate his influence.”

The tribunal concluded, “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.”

Enoch Adeboye, the general overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), has revealed that one of the church’s pastors was arrested abroad for addressing a gathering with the phrase ‘ladies and gentlemen’.

‘Ladies and gentlemen‘ is a salutation and irreversible binomial used in entertainment, sports and theater since the 19th century. The salutation is unlike most English language-gendered irreversible binomials which typically place the male term before the female term.

Speaking at the church’s monthly thanksgiving service in Lekki, Lagos on Sunday, Adeboye said some people who attended the event got the pastor arrested for being “discriminatory and offensive”.

The 82-year-old cleric said the pastor was accused of failing to acknowledge other gender identities, specifically non-binary individuals.

Adeboye expressed his concerns about the world’s moral decline, stating that the incident is “one of the signs of the end time”.

“The end is nearer than you think. Things are getting worse and worse. To warn us to wake up. We should wake up. They arrested one of my pastors somewhere abroad. What was his offence? He was going to speak and he got up and said ‘ladies and gentlemen’. That was his offence,” he said.

“Some people reported him that he is discriminatory. They claimed he said ‘ladies and gentlemen, saying what about those who are neither ladies nor gentlemen?’.

“That is how far the world has gone. You think things are bad. You do not know all the details.

“We are closer to the end than before.”

TD Jakes, bishop of The Potter’s House, a megachurch in the United States, has broken his silence after suffering a health scare on stage.

During a live-streamed sermon on Sunday, the 67-year-old cleric sat on a stool and was about to finish a prayer when he lowered the microphone and began shaking.

The live stream was abruptly cut off, leaving thousands of viewers concerned about Jakes’ well-being.

In a video shared on Instagram on Wednesday, the church leader appeared to be wearing a green baseball cap and sunglasses and seated in a wheelchair.

Jakes began by thanking the healthcare team that assisted him. He then extended his appreciation to the countless individuals who prayed, sent messages, and expressed their support.

“It didn’t have to end this good. I’m so grateful,” Jakes said, visibly in tears.

“I’m grateful to y’all, all the people who prayed, all the people who texted, all the people who had prayer vigils, all the people who were concerned and sent love and sent notes. I’m just grateful.”

In the post’s caption, the cleric reflected on the experience. He also acknowledged the privilege of serving God’s people and the importance of relying on divine strength.

“Serving God’s people is an extraordinary privilege, and Sunday was no exception as I gave my all in delivering the message God placed on my heart. Even when I sensed the weight of my humanity and pushed through nonetheless, I’m reminded that even the strongest must rely on His strength,” he wrote.

“I give thanks unto the Lord that I did not have a stroke, however the event could’ve been fatal if it weren’t for God’s intervention. A special thank you to God and the medical professionals in our city whose speed and expertise were beyond exceptional. My job is to recuperate and reflect on God’s protection. I owe it to my amazing family and church members to rest and ruminate as He restores me towards His service. As God calls us to honor the Sabbath, I’m reminded that rest is not a weakness – it is a divine gift.

“While I continue to be strengthened by His grace, I stand in awe of my family and the tremendous leadership team that surrounds me. Together, we press forward, steadfast in the work the Lord has set before us. I’ve heard from friends from the global community who expressed God’s love in ways that were astonishing! God’s faithfulness was unmistakable to all those present.

“I’m forever humbled by your outpouring of love and support. I will always give my best. May His presence continue to guide and sustain you and provide peace and protection over you all.”

The church has yet to elaborate on what may have caused the health scare and Jakes’ prognosis.