Nigerian pastor Tobi Adegboyega, founder of SPAC Nation church, has responded to the ongoing controversy surrounding his overstayed visa and the allegations of fraud that have led to his battle with UK immigration authorities. In a recent interview with the BBC, Adegboyega explained that he remained in the UK beyond his visa expiration because he "lost track of time."
The 44-year-old pastor, who first arrived in the UK in 2005 on a visitor's visa at the age of 25, admitted that he failed to regularize his immigration status, assuming that his family was handling the necessary paperwork. "I lost track of time," he said, reflecting on nearly a decade without formal immigration application.
Adegboyega’s legal troubles intensified after an immigration tribunal ruled that he should be deported to Nigeria, citing an alleged £1.87 million fraud tied to his church's finances. However, he dismissed these allegations, stating in the interview, “There is no deportation order, let me make that clear.” He referred to the ongoing legal process as a matter for the judges to decide, insisting that the fraud claims came from "disgruntled members" of his church.
The preacher also defended his church’s impact, emphasizing its efforts to reduce violence in the UK by removing knives from the streets and addressing gun crime. On criticism over his affluent lifestyle, Adegboyega stated, “I put on what is right, what connects to the generation I’m speaking to, so they are not attracted to drug dealers."
As his legal case continues, the preacher remains determined to clear his name, stating that the allegations against him are a misunderstanding fueled by discontented former followers.
| Posted: at | |
TRENDING GISTS 
Actor Emeka Nwagbarocha Knocks Nigerians Over VeryDarkMan Welcome Party
PHOTOS: Troops Arrest Notorious Gunrunners, Recover Arms In Kaduna
"I Was Nearly Burnt Alive In My Office During #EndSARS Protests"- Desmond Elliott
PHOTOS: Young Woman Brutally Murdered By Suspected Ritualists, Priv@te Part Removed In Ogun
Woman Slams Her Husband For Allegedly Having Unprotected S3x With Random Girls After Publicly Apologizing To Her
Actress, Laide Bakare Crowned UN Ambassador Of Peace
VIDEO: President Tinubu Conferred With a Chieftaincy Title in Anambra State
Passengers Killed, Vehicles Set Ablaze As Gunmen Attack Commercial Bus in Imo