Ex-boxer Ayitey Powers recently opened up about the profound impact the death of Nigerian prophet TB Joshua had on him, revealing that it affected him more deeply than the loss of his own parents.
During an interview on Showbiz 360 on TV3, Ayitey Powers shared his close connection with the late prophet and how he often sought his guidance.
He recounted that TB Joshua had invited him to visit his church before his unexpected passing.
Unfortunately, Ayitey Powers was unable to make the visit in time and only learned about the prophet’s death through the news.
Reflecting on the experience, Ayitey Powers expressed his astonishment and sorrow, saying, “It’s hard to grasp how Prophet TB Joshua could pass away at his age, especially after he reached out to me for a visit. He mentioned he wouldn’t celebrate his birthday, but we didn’t anticipate his death. We had many discussions that I now wish I could revisit. His death has left a deeper void for me than the loss of my parents.”
Their group told YouTube about the videos and the account got banned on 29 January.
Google’s video-sharing platform, owned by Google, said that Emmanuel TV was shut down for breaking the rules against hate speech.
TB Joshua was well-known for his “healing” work and recorded many services showing him helping sick and disabled people. But, some former church members have said that these claims are not true.
openDemocracy wrote an article that showed videos from Emmanuel TV of people with mental health problems being locked up, false medical information, and attacks on women who spoke out about TB Joshua’s sexual abuse.
Emmanuel TV’s TV channel was taken off the air on 17 January by MultiChoice, a South African company that operates DStv and GOtv.
For a long time, the channel was very successful as a Christian network, reaching millions of people worldwide.
After the BBC published their investigation on TB Joshua, some people who wrote about it have been attacked online by accounts related to his church and Emmanuel TV. openDemocracy also told YouTube about these accounts, but YouTube hasn’t taken them down yet.
YouTube and other social media sites are being closely looked at because of their rules about keeping people safe online.
Ghanaian reggae musician Shasha Marley has revealed how he was miraculously healed of an enlarged heart by the late Nigerian preacher TB Joshua.
In an interview on the Urban Blend Show on 3FM, Shasha Marley narrated his encounter with TB Joshua and how he gave him anointing water that cured his heart condition.
He said he had done a chest X-ray that showed that the left side of his heart was enlarged and the doctor had asked him to come back for an Echo test.
“I had had a chest x-ray. That proved that the left side of my heart was enlarged and the doctor has asked me to come back in a month. And in two weeks, I met TB Joshua. He gave me his anointing water. He said, ‘take this for your heart,’” he narrated.
However, before he could do that, he met TB Joshua who gave him anointing water and told him to take it for his heart.
He added that he went back to the hospital two weeks later to do the echo test and the doctor declared that his heart was normal.
“I went down to the hospital again and this Cuban doctor was highly confused. She said that through her years of practice, she’d never seen this before. My heart is normal,” he said.
Shasha Marley claimed that it was the anointing water from TB Joshua that had healed him and he thanked God for his miracle, saying he felt energetic and healthy ever since.
He also said that he had a close relationship with TB Joshua and that he had stayed with the pastor for a month.
A man publicly set up his GOTV decoder in protest against Multichoice for removingTB Joshua’s channel from their platform.
The man explained that his act of setting the GO TV decoder on fire was in response to the complete removal of the Emmanuel TV channel owned by SCOAN.
He criticised Multichoice for acting hastily in response to the BBC’s allegations, emphasising some of the positive contributions of the late Prophet TB Joshua. Pouring fuel on the decoder and its accessories, he ignited the fire with a lighter.
The video has attracted reactions from social media users….
@wendy_adamma wrote: “Religion look this man and say, I will dealll with you!!!!!”
iamdbull wrote: “Be prepared for a nationwide protest. Nigerians, let’s all join him.”
success_twins2 wrote: “People forget about all the good things you have done for them and judge you with just 1wrong🤷🏾♀️🤷🏾♀️we are not even sure TB Joshua did all these things he is been accused of..”
An old video has surfaced online featuring the late Nigerian televangelist T. B. Joshua sharing details of how he contributed to the upbringing of Ajoke God’swill Joshua—one of his daughters.
This video has emerged amidst recent reports by BBC identifying Ajoke as one of the first whistle-blowers who reached out to the news outlet about alleged abuse she witnessed at her father’s church, the Synagogue Church of All Nations (Scoan).
Ajoke was taken in by TB Joshua, as revealed in a Crime Diary extract from the Nigerian Police. She was abandoned at the age of one month beside the street opposite the Synagogue Church Egbe on May 12, 1995. Since then, she has been cared for by the church led by TB Joshua.
In the video, the late televangelist shared the challenges he faced in raising his adopted daughter, including her struggles in school at the British School of Lome.
“Do you know I paid huge money. Almost $50,000 and the time I withdrew her, they said they cannot refund the money. I overlooked. I returned her again and they said I should pay again, $40,000 wasted. I paid another money, $30,000 wasted. Now I withdrew her again.”
Apparently, Ajoke could not control herself from taking what did not belong to her.
“In the British School, there is a letter from the school where this girl stole money,” he added.
In a letter of plea reportedly drafted by Ajoke, she stole 41,000 CFA.
On the 4th of August 2015 one Mr Sunday Okojie of the Synagogue Church of All Nations, Ikotun Egbe Lagos, came to the Area ‘M’ Police Command Idimu Lagos and reported Ajoke Godswill.
The complainant stated further that on the 26th July, 2015, while the Church service was going on, Ajoke Godswill ” sneaked out of the Church service and absconded with a male friend of hers whose name was not known, but was seen with her in the church premises where she resides to an unknown destination. That every effort made so far to locate her whereabouts has proved abortive.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3gzB_MdHlgU
TB Joshua, who died at the age of 57, was one of the most influential and controversial religious figures in Africa. He claimed to have the power to heal various diseases, including HIV/AIDS and cancer, and to prophesy about world events.
He was praised by some as a man of God and a philanthropist, but he was also criticized by others as a fraud and a cult leader. He faced several lawsuits and investigations over his practices and claims, and he was also accused of being involved in politics and corruption.
Now, a BBC documentary – “Disciples: The Cult of TB Joshua” – has reignited the debate over his legacy and the future of his church, as well as the wider issues of accountability and regulation in the Nigerian and African religious landscape.
Ajoke is one of the primary sources for BBC’s documentary.
Until the age of seven, Ajoke says she had a very happy childhood, going on holiday with the Joshua family to places like Dubai.
But one day everything changed. She was suspended from school for a misdemeanour, and a local journalist wrote an article referring to her as the illegitimate child of TB Joshua. She was pulled out of school and taken to the Scoan compound in Lagos.
“I was made to move to the disciples’ room. I didn’t volunteer to be a disciple. I was made to join,” she says.
The disciples were an elite group of dedicated followers who served TB Joshua and lived with him inside the maze-like structure of the church. They came from all over the world, many staying at the compound for decades.
“The disciples were both brainwashed and enablers. Everybody was just acting based on command – like zombies. Nobody was questioning anything,” she says.
BBC further recounts Ajoke narrative.
“Not long after arriving, aged seven, she remembers being beaten for wetting the bed and then being forced to walk around the compound with a sign around her neck saying “I am a bedwetter.”
“The message about Ajoke was that she had terrible evil spirits that needed to be driven out,” says one former female disciple.
“There was a time in the disciple meetings – he [Joshua] said people could beat her. Anyone in the female dormitory could just hit her and I remember just seeing people slapping her as they walked past,” she says.
“From the moment Ajoke moved to the church in the Ikotun neighbourhood of Lagos, she was treated like an outcast.
“She was, like, kind of labelled the black sheep of the family,” says Rae, from the UK, who spent 12 years living in the church as a disciple. Like most of the former disciples interviewed by the BBC, she opted to only use her first name.
“Rae remembers a time when Ajoke slept for too long, and Joshua shouted at her to get up,” BBC wrote.
The old videos of TB Joshua recounting the challenges he faced while raising Ajoke and the recent BBC interview has left many completely at sea as to what to believe.
Per BBC, Ajoke no longer goes by Joshua.
The wife of the late Nigerian megachurch leader and televangelist, Prophet TB Joshua, Pastor Evelyn Joshua, has urged members of his church to remain faithful and focused on Jesus Christ amid controversy sparked by a BBC documentary exposing alleged abuse and torture by the late prophet.
Pastor Evelyn Joshua, who assumed leadership of the Synagogue Church of All Nations (SCOAN) after her husband’s death in June 2021, addressed the congregation on Sunday, January 14, 2024, at the church’s headquarters in Lagos, Nigeria.
This marked her first public address to the church since the release of the BBC Africa Eye documentary titled “Disciples: The Cult of TB Joshua.”
An old video of the late Nigerian televangelist T. B. Joshua giving an account of how he contributed to Ajoke God’swill Joshua—one of his daughters’ upbringing—has surfaced online.
This video comes at a time when BBC identified Ajoke – one of the first whistle-blowers to reach out to its outfit about the alleged abuse she witnessed at her father’s church, the Synagogue Church of All Nations (Scoan).
Ajoke was taken in by TB Joshua and this information was provided by the Nigerian Police in a Crime Diary extract on Ajoke. She was abandoned at the age of one month old by an unknown person beside the street Opposite the Synagogue Church Egbe on May 12, 1995, at about 1535 hrs.
Since that tender age, she has been catered for by the church led by TB Joshua. During one of his interactions with his congregants, the late televangelist shared details of his struggles in bringing up his adopted daughter.
According to TB Joshua, Ajoke was a deviant in school, the British School of Lome, where he had her enrolled.
“Do you know I paid huge money. Almost $50,000 and the time I withdrew her, they said they cannot refund the money. I overlooked. I returned her again and they said I should pay again, $40,000 wasted. I paid another money, $30,000 wasted. Now I withdrew her again.”
“In the British School, there is a letter from the school where this girl stole money,” he added.
In a letter of plea reportedly drafted by Ajoke, she stole 41,000 CFA.
On the 4th of August 2015 one Mr Sunday Okojie of the Synagogue Church of All Nations, Ikotun Egbe Lagos, came to the Area ‘M’ Police Command Idimu Lagos and reported Ajoke Godswill.
The complainant stated further that on the 26th July, 2015, while the Church service was going on, Ajoke Godswill ” sneaked out of the Church service and absconded with a male friend of hers whose name was not known, but was seen with her in the church premises where she resides to an unknown destination. That every effort made so far to locate her whereabouts has proved abortive.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3gzB_MdHlgU
TB Joshua, who died at the age of 57, was one of the most influential and controversial religious figures in Africa. He claimed to have the power to heal various diseases, including HIV/AIDS and cancer, and to prophesy about world events.
He was praised by some as a man of God and a philanthropist, but he was also criticized by others as a fraud and a cult leader. He faced several lawsuits and investigations over his practices and claims, and he was also accused of being involved in politics and corruption.
Now, a BBC documentary – “Disciples: The Cult of TB Joshua” – has reignited the debate over his legacy and the future of his church, as well as the wider issues of accountability and regulation in the Nigerian and African religious landscape.
Ajoke is one of the primary sources for BBC’s documentary.
Until the age of seven, Ajoke says she had a very happy childhood, going on holiday with the Joshua family to places like Dubai.
But one day everything changed. She was suspended from school for a misdemeanour, and a local journalist wrote an article referring to her as the illegitimate child of TB Joshua. She was pulled out of school and taken to the Scoan compound in Lagos.
“I was made to move to the disciples’ room. I didn’t volunteer to be a disciple. I was made to join,” she says.
The disciples were an elite group of dedicated followers who served TB Joshua and lived with him inside the maze-like structure of the church. They came from all over the world, many staying at the compound for decades.
“The disciples were both brainwashed and enablers. Everybody was just acting based on command – like zombies. Nobody was questioning anything,” she says.
BBC further recounts Ajoke narrative.
“Not long after arriving, aged seven, she remembers being beaten for wetting the bed and then being forced to walk around the compound with a sign around her neck saying “I am a bedwetter.”
“The message about Ajoke was that she had terrible evil spirits that needed to be driven out,” says one former female disciple.
“There was a time in the disciple meetings – he [Joshua] said people could beat her. Anyone in the female dormitory could just hit her and I remember just seeing people slapping her as they walked past,” she says.
“From the moment Ajoke moved to the church in the Ikotun neighbourhood of Lagos, she was treated like an outcast.
“She was, like, kind of labelled the black sheep of the family,” says Rae, from the UK, who spent 12 years living in the church as a disciple. Like most of the former disciples interviewed by the BBC, she opted to only use her first name.
“Rae remembers a time when Ajoke slept for too long, and Joshua shouted at her to get up,” BBC wrote.
The old videos of TB Joshua recounting the challenges he faced while raising Ajoke and the recent BBC interview has left many completely at sea as to what to believe.
Per BBC, Ajoke no longer goes by Joshua.
The wife of the late Nigerian megachurch leader and televangelist, Prophet TB Joshua, Pastor Evelyn Joshua, has urged members of his church to remain faithful and focused on Jesus Christ amid controversy sparked by a BBC documentary exposing alleged abuse and torture by the late prophet.
Pastor Evelyn Joshua, who assumed leadership of the Synagogue Church of All Nations (SCOAN) after her husband’s death in June 2021, addressed the congregation on Sunday, January 14, 2024, at the church’s headquarters in Lagos, Nigeria.
This marked her first public address to the church since the release of the BBC Africa Eye documentary titled “Disciples: The Cult of TB Joshua.”
In a recently obtained video by SaharaReporters, the late televangelist and founder of the Synagogue Church of All Nations (SCOAN), Temitope Balogun Joshua, commonly known as TB Joshua, disclosed that he was not the biological father of Ajoke, the individual who accused him of abuse in a BBC investigative documentary.
Ajoke, whose full name is Ajoke God’swill Joshua, made severe allegations against TB Joshua in a three-part BBC documentary, claiming constant abuse and torture.
In response, TB Joshua clarified in the video that he adopted Ajoke in 2000 when she was abandoned as a baby. He reported the incident to a Lagos police station and received approval to adopt her.
TB Joshua explained that over time, Ajoke’s behavior became problematic, involving herself in fraudulent activities, theft, and causing disruptions among the church disciples.
In the video, TB Joshua addressed the church workers, introducing Ajoke and requesting prayers for her, acknowledging the challenges he faced in dealing with her actions.
He said, “It is such a surprise thing, she has what we call influence on the people, and she doesn’t influence little people. She influences big people, people that matter to the extent that two months ago, I had to call the commissioner of police to trace her file and they brought her file to me and there was a letter in the file demanding that I should return her and I held on to the letter.
“They too felt for me that I have given so much for her and that they should put her where she belongs. In a British school, there is a letter from the school which showed that this girl stole money. She agreed in the letter that she did it.”
A letter written to Prophet TB Joshua by a school in Togo, Benin Republic dated November 25, 2008, and signed by Gareth Jones on behalf of the academic team read, “We wish to bring to your notice formally this incident of theft perpetuated by Ajoke God’swill Joshua here in school.
“The school management has dealt with it by giving her a suspension and consequently her being put in isolation. It is a three school days suspension and she is allowed no visitors except her House Parent or Form Tutor who gives her some class work to do.
“We wish to assure you of our desire to keep her in school and to help her in various ways to reform and change for the better. We are of the opinion that taking her out of the school to another place could rather compound the situation and allow this habit to go on, but being in one place, getting the needed help from counselors, spiritual and temporal would to a great extent bring about the needed result.
“We acknowledge the fear you have of your name being tarnished but this we assure you once again it has been contained and would not be allowed to spill over. We have spoken to your delegation and given them a copy of the letter of plea as well as the statement of acceptance of wrong doing written by her which clearly indicates her being sorrowful for the situation she has created and remorse for it.
“We will continue to support in any way possible and be grateful for vice versa.”
One of the letters in which Ajoke admitted to the crime which was read by one of the church workers read, “I Ajoke Joshua is hereby admitting that I stole a sum of 41,000 CFA from (name of the school was hidden).
“This was a very criminal act and also something that should have not been done at all in the first place. I was so tempted by the money and I do not have any idea of whatsoever prompted me to do this. I am so sorry and I promise that in my whole entire life that this will not happen again. Please do not suspend me. I am sincerely sorry.”
TB Joshua said that after the school wrote the letter to him. According to him, “to them because nobody ever knew that she is not my biological child, we then showed them the letter of the day we found her when she was a baby. I took her to the police station and they told me to take care of her, and I felt, let her live with us.”
The cleric said the video of how Ajoke was found and picked up when she was a baby was recorded.
TB Joshua’s wife who went to the Togolese school with Ajoke to show the documents of her adoption said that the teachers in the school were surprised after the video was played to them.
TB Joshua lamented that “Ajoke has been a terrible thing that the police said they want to take her back to the orphanage home and they had taken her name and photocopies of the documents but I said no.”
A letter from the Ikotun Police Station, Lagos requesting the release of Ajoke who was adopted in March 2000, back to the police was read before the workers in the church.
TB Joshua said that if not that he had Ajoke, he would have had thousands of adopted children “but I warn you, they are very dangerous. They will never be grateful to whatever you do.”
He said that Ajoke “is now destroying the disciples here,” citing an example of one of the disciples who called him from Ghana and said that he had to go because Ajoke had destroyed him.
According to the disciple, “he cannot say no to Ajoke.” A document was also read on how Ajoke sent a message to the disciple saying she wanted to marry him and have a sexual affair with the disciple and that no matter what TB Joshua said, she was ready to die because of the disciple.
According to TB Joshua, this made the disciple to leave the church and go back to Ghana.
Wife of the late Prophet TB Joshua, Pastor Evelyn Joshua, in a poignant message delivered on Sunday, January 14, 2024, at the Synagogue Church Of All Nations (SCOAN) in Lagos, Nigeria publicly shared the final words of her husband before his passing. This revelation comes amidst the backdrop of a recent damning documentary released by the BBC about the founder of SCOAN.
“What were the words of Prophet Joshua, his last words? He said, ‘Watch and Pray. Watch and pray, and you will see the glory of God.’ I bless you all,” Pastor Evelyn Joshua disclosed during her address to the congregation.
Expressing gratitude, she extended her thanks to the members of The Synagogue Church of all Nations, Emmanuel TV Partners, friends of the ministry, and the broader body of Christ for their love, faith, steadfastness, and commitment during what she described as an eventful week.
Amidst the challenges faced by the church, Pastor Evelyn Joshua emphasized the importance of faith and urged the congregation not to lose focus. Quoting scriptures from the book of 1 Corinthians 13, she reminded believers that love is not irritable or resentful, rejoicing with the truth.
“As a church, as the Body of Christ, become, remain steady in this unsteady world. Examine all things in the light of God’s word. And please remember the word of God, the word of Christ Jesus to you in the book of 1 Corinthians 13, from verse 4 to 8. Don’t lose focus. Do not lose focus. Jesus Christ is our focus, our roadmap. He stood for truth; he stood for love,” she urged the congregation.
Pastor Evelyn Joshua concluded her message by invoking blessings upon the church members and expressing the need for a continuous focus on the goodness, kindness, faithfulness, healing power, deliverance power, and salvation power of Jesus Christ. The revelation of Prophet TB Joshua’s last words adds a poignant touch to the ongoing discussions surrounding the legacy of the late televangelist.
The wife of the late Nigerian megachurch leader and televangelist, Prophet TB Joshua, Pastor Evelyn Joshua, has urged members of his church to remain faithful and focused on Jesus Christ amid controversy sparked by a BBC documentary exposing alleged abuse and torture by the late prophet.
Pastor Evelyn Joshua, who assumed leadership of the Synagogue Church of All Nations (SCOAN) after her husband’s death in June 2021, addressed the congregation on Sunday, January 14, 2024, at the church’s headquarters in Lagos, Nigeria.
This marked her first public address to the church since the release of the BBC Africa Eye documentary titled “Disciples: The Cult of TB Joshua.” The documentary featured former disciples accusing the late prophet of misconduct, including rape, physical abuse, and coercion for abortions.
Though Pastor Evelyn Joshua did not directly reference the documentary or the allegations, she expressed gratitude to the church members for their love, faith, steadfastness, and commitment during the “eventful week”. She reminded them of the church’s core beliefs, such as faith in the Holy Spirit, the word of God, the salvation of Jesus Christ, and the judgment day.
Encouraging the congregation to evaluate all things in the light of God’s word, she emphasized the importance of love, quoting 1 Corinthians 13:4-8, which says that love is not irritable or resentful, and does not rejoice in wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth.
Pastor Evelyn Joshua urged members not to lose focus and to keep Jesus Christ as their central focus and guide, emphasizing that Jesus stood for truth and love, and that the church was a house of joy, which was their conquering power.
She then quoted the alleged last words of her late husband: “Watch and pray, and you will see the glory of God.” She blessed the congregation and thanked them for their support.
Pastor Evelyn Joshua, who married TB Joshua in 1990 and had three daughters with him, was appointed as the new leader of SCOAN in September 2021, after a court order made her a member of the church’s board of trustees.
She faced some opposition from some factions within the church, who questioned her legitimacy and transparency. However, she has since asserted her authority and vision for the church, which has millions of followers around the world.
TB Joshua, who died at the age of 57, was one of the most influential and controversial religious figures in Africa. He claimed to have the power to heal various diseases, including HIV/AIDS and cancer, and to prophesy about world events.
He attracted thousands of pilgrims to his church in Lagos, where he performed his “miracles” and delivered his sermons. He also had a huge online presence, with more than six million followers on Facebook and more than one million subscribers on YouTube.
He was praised by some as a man of God and a philanthropist, but he was also criticized by others as a fraud and a cult leader. He faced several lawsuits and investigations over his practices and claims, and he was also accused of being involved in politics and corruption.
The BBC documentary has reignited the debate over his legacy and the future of his church, as well as the wider issues of accountability and regulation in the Nigerian and African religious landscape.
A 2021 YouTube video by the QEDNG channel has regained relevance in the wake of the BBC Africa Eye exposé titled “DISCIPLES: The Cult of TB Joshua,” that has revealed shocking allegations of abuse and torture by the late Nigerian preacher TB Joshua.
The video, uploaded in June 2021, shows a man described by some reports as “a Christian Elder simply referred to as Mr. White responding to a question about TB Joshua‘s demise.
His answer was full of praise for the late founder of The Synagogue, Church of All Nations (SCOAN) with details of several good things he believed TB Joshua had done in Nigeria and around the world.
In the interview, Mr. White recalled TB Joshua‘s prophetic abilities, noting predictions that came to pass concerning Nigeria, other African and European countries, and the world at large. He acknowledged the criticisms directed at TB Joshua by other church leaders but asserted that TB Joshua continued to thrive despite the opposition.
Furthermore, Mr. White recounted a statement made years ago by the late Charismatic Pentecostal preacher and founder of Church of God Mission International, Archbishop Benson Idahosa, who, in response to complaints about TB Joshua, reportedly said, “Leave him, leave him. If he is not of God, he will not survive seven years, but if he’s of God, he will survive seven years, and if he survives seven years, then know that this man is of God.” Mr. White, claiming to be a witness to this statement, emphasized the enduring impact of TB Joshua’s ministry.
“Yes, I was there when he was making that statement in Benin. I’m a witness to it,” he said.
He highlighted the late TB Joshua was a great man of God known worldwide for solving problems, healing the sick, delivering the oppressed, and making Nigeria proud. Mr. White shared a specific anecdote about a Prime Minister whose life TB Joshua saved, leading to enduring honors for the late prophet in the Prime Minister’s country.
The resurgence of this video adds an intriguing dimension to the ongoing discussions surrounding TB Joshua’s legacy, especially in light of the recent BBC exposé.
TB Joshua, who died at the age of 57, was one of Africa’s most influential evangelists, with top politicians, celebrities, and sports stars among his followers. He founded the SCOAN in 1987 and built an evangelical empire that stretched across the globe. He was also known for his philanthropy and his prophecies, which he claimed were divinely inspired. However, he was also controversial and faced criticism from other church leaders, who accused him of being a false prophet or using occult powers.
The BBC’s investigation is the first time that multiple former church insiders have come forward to speak on the record about their experiences within the SCOAN. They say they have spent years trying to raise the alarm, but have been effectively silenced.
Evangelist Mama Part, widely known as Agradaa, strongly criticized Christians who are condemning the late Prophet TB Joshua in the wake of a documentary released by the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC).
Expressing deep disappointment, she rebuked individuals claiming to be Christians but who are tarnishing the reputation of the deceased prophet, emphasising that despite his passing, his ministry continues to face unwarranted attacks.
Nana Agradaa asserted that the documentary, which outlines alleged wrongdoings by the late prophet, should not serve as a basis for others to vilify him. She highlighted that TB Joshua devoted his life to preaching the word of God.
In a TikTok live session, Nana Agradaa strongly rebuked Christians who believe the details presented in the BBC documentary and criticise TB Joshua.
“Let’s stand for the kingdom of God. The late TB Joshua was a man of God. He preaches the word of God for the world to know about Jesus. Today, he is dead and there is controversy about him. Why can’t we stand for the kingdom of God and defend our home? Christians!
“I am sad; let’s stand up for our family. Traditionalists and those who belong to the world would never do this; they will always protect their kingdom. Go and read Mark 3:25. And start thinking about what God said. Let’s stand for our own. TB Joshua is a man of God,” she said.
Her remarks follow the release of a BBC documentary that highlights alleged misconduct within the Synagogue Church of All Nations (SCOAN), under the leadership of the late Prophet TB Joshua.
The documentary, generating extensive discussions, reveals incidents of sexual abuse, accusations of rape, and manipulations related to miracles within SCOAN.
The documentary has elicited varied responses, with some individuals criticising the late prophet while others questioning the credibility of the allegations made against him.
Blakk Rasta expresses skepticism towards allegations of fake miracles against the late TB Joshua, disputing claims made in a BBC documentary.
He points to miracles performed in European and Asian countries, insisting on their authenticity.
Blakk Rasta firmly rejects the notion that TB Joshua’s miracles were fake, opposing the narrative presented in the BBC documentary.
“I will not be convinced if anybody tells me that the miracles that TB Joshua performed were all fake miracles, I wouldn’t believe that. My brother, he [TB Joshua] travelled to Japan. He went all the way to Asia, Europe and even America. Are you telling me that the tens of thousands of people who were seen falling down and vomiting blood all had been paid to do a certain Cantata?
“Are you telling me that even family members who we knew, went to the SCOAN and were allegedly healed of cancer or other dangerous diseases they came home and were healthy, are you telling me that they’re all fake? How about those who just touched the TV and then got healed? How do you explain that? I will not believe that,” he said.
In response to the BBC documentary unveiling reported abuses within the Synagogue Church of All Nations (SCOAN), led by the late Prophet TB Joshua, Blakk Rasta shares his views.
The documentary delves into sexual abuse, rape allegations, and manipulations of miracles within the SCOAN, sparking varied reactions. Some criticize the prophet, while others question the authenticity of the allegations against the deceased man of God.
I was taken aback on the evening of 9 January 2009 when my principal, the late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua asked, “Who is Prophet Joshua?” I wasn’t sure how to respond in case the late cleric had been recommended to him. Apparently sensing my unease, he explained what led to the question. Following the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) meeting which ended that day, he (Yar’Adua) had asked then president of Ghana, Professor John Atta Mills, to stay the night in Abuja so they could have dinner together. But the man insisted he would spend the weekend in Lagos with the said Prophet. “I have not heard the name before,” the president told me while reeling out the names of prominent Christian clerics in the country with whom he was familiar. With that, I felt comfortable enough to share what I had read and heard about the late Pastor Temitope Joshua whom I never met.
What I found remarkable about the episode was that Atta Mills had only been sworn in as Ghanaian president five days before arriving Abuja for the ECOWAS session. Yet, he chose to spend the first weekend of his tenure in Lagos to attend The Synagogue Church of all Nations (SCOAN) thanksgiving service. “I am no stranger to the Synagogue. Indeed, I have been here very regularly. And I have known the man of God for more than 10 years,” late Atta Mills told the congregation on Sunday 11 January 2009 while crediting his victory at the polls to Joshua’s prediction. And we are talking about a professor of law who obtained his LLM from the London School of Economics and Political Science and PhD at 27 from the School of Oriental and African Studies. “Now, if there is anybody who does not believe in God, I would say our elections should change that person’s mind. God gave us more than we asked for,” enthused Atta Mills who then faced Joshua, “Man of God, I want to thank the Almighty for using you and many others.”
From the late President Frederick Chiluba of Zambia to the recently ousted President Omar Bongo of Gabon, to former President Joyce Banda of Malawi, to South African Zulu King Goodwill Zwelithini, to the late former Zimbabwean Prime Minister, Morgan Tsvangirai, numerous African leaders (political and traditional) placed great faith in the late Joshua as their spiritual mentor. However, a new documentary by the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) has, to put it mildly, painted a rather unflattering profile of the cleric. Since the serious allegations are already in the public domain, I see no point in repeating them here.
Although SCOAN has issued a rebuttal, arguing that the BBC turned “itself into a weapon for a hatchet job as gangsters in the garb of journalism with a destructive ulterior motive for personal gains against a perceived enemy”, the only official line in the documentary is that most of the allegations now being peddled were also levelled against Joshua when he was alive, and none was proven. That may not be entirely correct. In September 2014, for instance, there was a building collapse at the SCOAN headquarters in Lagos that claimed several lives, mostly foreigners. Following the tragedy, the late Joshua told tales of how he received a call that a mysterious aircraft was hovering over his prayer room before getting another call shortly after “that the jet has moved to the church and that was it.” Not only was his claim disputed, but the Lagos State Coroner’s Inquest also indicted the church leadership for “criminal negligence” and recommended prosecution for the death of 116 persons. 84 of those unfortunate victims were South Africans, 22 were Nigerians, two each were Beninoise and Togolese and one, Zimbabwean. The nationalities of five could not be ascertained. According to the Coroner’s Court, presided over by Chief Magistrate Oyetade Komolafe, the Church did not obtain the necessary permit or approval before commencing construction of the building.
I am aware that the late Joshua means many things to many people. And I have seen some pushback against the BBC for airing the documentary. Incidentally, Pastor Chris Okotie of the Household of God had openly challenged Joshua’s doctrines and practices when he was alive, so controversy had always swirled around the man. My sister, Dr Abimbola Adelakun of the University of Texas, Austin, United States, also wrote several uncomplimentary articles about Joshua and his ministry. Now that he is late, what is being imputed by the BBC are serious crimes not only against Nigerians but also foreigners. It is therefore in the interest of our country, and SCOAN itself, that the allegations be fully investigated. It is also important to stress that until then, the late Joshua remains innocent in the eyes of the law.
However, we should all be concerned about the role of religion in Nigeria. In September 2019, as many as 300 chained inmates, including children, were rescued by thepolice from the‘Sheikh Ahmad Bin Hambal Islamic School and Rehabilitation Centre’ in Kaduna State. It was a story that caught global attention as survivors shared sordid tales of torture, sexual exploitation and bestiality. Today, nobody knows what has happened to those hapless victims and there is no report that anyone has been brought to justice for the heinous crime against humanity. Four years ago, Dr Hadiza Kere Abdulrahman, a lecturer in Inclusive Education, Bishop Grosseteste University, United Kingdom, used the sordid Kaduna spectacle to explain the socio-political dynamics in Nigeria and the lessons we have all refused to learn.
According to Abdulrahman, “the abuse found in these so-called ‘Qur’anic schools’ is replicated in several other contexts in Nigeria—in homes with people hired as domestic help being whipped for minor misdemeanors.” Such abuse, she further stated “is also replicated in other religious establishments where people are taken for deliverance, in Nigeria’s prison system where everything goes, and in government boarding schools which can sometimes be brutal. This abuse is seen even in the few government-owned rehabilitation facilities where inmates are shackled.” She then concluded: “It would be a mighty shame—and a missed opportunity—if Nigerians didn’t use the opportunity of the horror stories to take a hard look at themselves.” Of course, no lessons were learnt from that tragic episode and many already believe that the BBC documentary on Joshua may also compel no action. Yet, this should be another teachable moment. Just yesterday, Daily Trust newspaper published an investigative report on one Hassan Patigi, a preacher and exorcist who draws huge crowds in Kwara and Niger States where he abuses and defrauds the sick people he claims to be healing.
Since African culture frowns at speaking ill of the dead, it is understandable that some would question the motive of the BBC in running a documentary on Joshua who can no longer defend himself. But those who follow the media outfit, and its crime investigation series, know there is nothing unusual about this episode. ‘The Reckoning: the horrendous true story behind the Jimmy Savile case’ for instance details allegations of sexual abuse against British television personality Jimmy Savile. It was only after his death in 2011 that numerous allegations emerged about his predatory behaviour, hence the posthumous documentary. Similarly, ‘House of Maxwell: Like Father, Like Daughter’ is about Ghislaine Maxwell, currently in jail for helping American billionaire, Jeffrey Epstein (who committed suicide in detention) to sexually abuse teenage girls. She is the daughter of the deceased (and disgraced) newspaper tycoon Robert Maxwell.
Because the BBC documentary on Joshua is a media investigation, it does not on its own convict of guilt. But the allegations deserve to be properly investigated by appropriate authorities for the good of society. Beyond that, it is also important for the leadership of both the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) and Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN) to be interested in this matter. There have in recent times been many reports of unwholesome practices by people who claim to be Christian clerics of various denominations. Many of the reports border on abuse of their members. Some are told to eat grass. Some are stamped upon. Some, especially female members, are made to unclothe before clerics who openly fondle their private parts. Tales of midnight ‘deliverances’ that end in bed abound. All these in the name of performing ‘miracles’ by perverts who prey on the ignorance and desperation of our people.
This of course is not a new phenomenon, and the challenge is global. Literature that readers may find useful include ‘Soft Shepherd or Almighty Pastor: Power and Pastoral Care’ by Annemie Dillen and Cristina Traina’s ‘A Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing: Dealing Honestly with Pastoral Power’. Triana, whose thesis focuses on “the undeniable power of many kinds—social, ecclesial, and psychological, among others—that resides with the pastor,” argues that the unequal power relationship imposes both a measure of responsibility and duty of care. “When a person enters a church or a church-related environment and seeks direct help from and relationship with a pastor, in a very visceral way, God has been called into the conversation, too, and for some of the most broken persons, the minister’s words and God’s words become one and the same.”
What the BBC documentary has shown quite clearly is that healthy boundaries must be set between clerics and members of their congregations. And that is where the problem lies in Nigeria. As we can see from other areas of our national life, boundary violations derive from unequal powers and to the extent that these dynamics are now very prevalent in the church, we must begin to deal with them.
Overall, regardless of what anybody may believe concerning the allegations against Joshua, four critical issues have been raised. First is how easy it is for religion to mask sundry violations of human rights. Second is an unfortunate anachronism about our society. A supposedly modern nation based on rational principles is still chained to primordial superstitions and practices, patronized openly by those in power and the guardians of civic morality and conduct.
And because of that, human rituals, recourse to strange ‘prayer sessions’, seeking occult solutions to basic human problems or health afflictions requiring simple medical cures, etc. are now the order of the day. Third, in Nigeria today, religion and politics continue to meet and mix. It is therefore little surprise that so-called men of God use the power of belief to chain their followers to degrading abuses just as spurious politicians hoodwink the poor and helpless to steal the commonwealth. Four, in a system where powerful people permit themselves the indulgence of operating above the law, those who are supposed to set examples for the rest of society can only end up as outlaws. When that happens, we are all losers.
To change the narrative, we must begin to hold people in power—whether it be in the political, academic, business or religious realm—accountable for their actions.
TB Joshua, the late Nigerian preacher and founder of the Synagogue Church of All Nations (SCOAN), held profound connections with numerous African presidents and political leaders. His impact reached beyond religious boundaries, with leaders seeking his prayers, guidance, and prophecies. Here are some notable presidents who were close to TB Joshua:
1. John Atta-Mills (Ghana):
Former President of Ghana, the late John Evans Atta-Mills standing by the founder of Synagogue Church Of All Nations (SCOAN) Prophet TB Joshua, during a visit to the church in Nigeria after the 2008 general elections in Ghana
A regular visitor to SCOAN.
Credited Joshua for his 2008 presidential election victory.
Expressed gratitude at a thanksgiving service in 2009.
Joshua attended Atta-Mills’ funeral, describing him as a “brother” and a “friend.”
2. Joyce Banda (Malawi):
Visited SCOAN several times.
Claimed Joshua foretold her rise to power and warned of an assassination attempt.
Acknowledged Joshua’s guidance in overcoming challenges.
3. Frederick Chiluba (Zambia):
Declared Zambia a Christian nation in 1991.
Described as a close friend and frequent visitor to SCOAN.
He visited TB Joshua after his acquittal from corruption charges in 2009.
4. Morgan Tsvangirai (Zimbabwe):
SCOAN visitor and recipient of Joshua’s prophecies.
Joshua predicted his fate in the disputed 2008 presidential election.
Credited Joshua with healing him of colon cancer in 2016.
5. Goodluck Jonathan (Nigeria):
Follower of TB Joshua and recipient of spiritual guidance.
Joshua prophesied his rise to power and advised conceding defeat in the 2015 election.
Received prayers and support during his tenure.
While these leaders shared close ties with TB Joshua, many others, including;
Muhammadu Buhari (Nigeria)
Omar Bongo (Gabon)
John Magufuli (Tanzania):
Salva Kiir Mayardit (South Sudan)
George Manneh Oppong Weah (Liberia),
Former Liberian President George Weah in a handshake with the late prophet TB Joshua during a visit to the SCOAN in Nigeria
Koudou Gbagbo Laurent (Ivory Coast), Levy Patrick Mwanawasa (Zambia), Goodwill Zwelithini kaBhekuzulu ( Zulu Nation, South Africa), Professor Pascal Lissouba (Congo), General André Kolingba (Central African Republic), King Koshi Kgabo Moloto (South Africa) were also seen with him.
TB Joshua was one of Africa’s most influential evangelists, with millions of followers across the continent and beyond. He was also controversial, facing accusations of rape, torture, and abuse from former followers . He died on 5 June 2021, at the age of 57 . He was the founder of SCOAN, a Christian megachurch that runs the Emmanuel TV television station from Lagos, Nigeria .
The BBC has uncovered disturbing allegations against the late megachurch leader TB Joshua, who stands accused of committing sexual crimes on a mass scale.
The investigation discloses that Joshua reportedly locked up his own daughter, subjecting her to years of torture before abandoning her, homeless on the streets of Lagos, Nigeria.
The exposé sheds light on the dark and hidden facets of the renowned religious figure’s personal life, raising questions about the extent of abuse within his own family.
“My dad had fear, constant fear. He was very afraid that someone would speak up,” says one of the pastor’s daughters, Ajoke – the first whistle-blower to reach out to the BBC about the abuse she witnessed at her father’s church, the Synagogue Church of All Nations (Scoan).
TB Joshua, who passed away at the age of 57 in 2021, is alleged to have engaged in extensive abuse and torture over a nearly two-decade period.
Now aged 27, Ajoke lives in hiding and has dropped her surname “Joshua” – the BBC is not publishing her new name.
Limited information exists about Ajoke’s biological mother, who was thought to be one of TB Joshua’s followers. Ajoke asserts that she was brought up by Evelyn, Joshua’s widow, from her earliest recollections.
During her early years up to the age of seven, Ajoke recalls experiencing a joyful childhood, including family vacations to destinations like Dubai with the Joshua family.
However, a significant turning point occurred when she faced suspension from school due to a misdemeanor. A local journalist compounded matters by publishing an article identifying her as the illegitimate child of TB Joshua. Subsequently, she was withdrawn from school and relocated to the Scoan compound in Lagos.
“I was made to move to the disciples’ room. I didn’t volunteer to be a disciple. I was made to join,” she says.
The disciples were an elite group of dedicated followers who served TB Joshua and lived with him inside the maze-like structure of the church. They came from all over the world, many staying at the compound for decades.
They lived under a strict set of rules: forbidden to sleep for more than a few hours at a time, prohibited from using their own phones or having access to their personal emails, and forced to call TB Joshua “Daddy”.
“The disciples were both brainwashed and enablers. Everybody was just acting based on command – like zombies. Nobody was questioning anything,” she says.
Just a child, Ajoke would not follow the rules like the other disciples: she refused to stand up when the pastor came into the room and rebelled against the severe sleeping orders.
The abuse started soon after.
Not long after arriving, aged seven, she remembers being beaten for wetting the bed and then being forced to walk around the compound with a sign around her neck saying “I am a bedwetter.”
“The message about Ajoke was that she had terrible evil spirits that needed to be driven out,” says one former female disciple.
“There was a time in the disciple meetings – he [Joshua] said people could beat her. Anyone in the female dormitory could just hit her and I remember just seeing people slapping her as they walked past,” she says.
From the moment Ajoke moved to the church in the Ikotun neighbourhood of Lagos, she was treated like an outcast.
“She was, like, kind of labelled the black sheep of the family,” says Rae, from the UK, who spent 12 years living in the church as a disciple. Like most of the former disciples interviewed by the BBC, she opted to only use her first name.
Rae remembers a time when Ajoke slept for too long, and Joshua shouted at her to get up.
Another disciple took her to the shower and “whipped her with an electrical cord and then turned the hot water on”, she says.
Recalling the incident, Ajoke says: “I was screaming at the top of my voice, and they just let the water run on my head for a very long time.”
Such abuse was never-ending, she says.
“We’re talking about years and years of abuse. Consistent abuse. My existence as a child from another mother undermined everything he [TB Joshua] claimed to stand for.”
The abuse escalated to a different scale when she was aged 17 and confronted her dad about “accounts, first hand, of people who had experienced sexual abuse”.
“I saw female disciples go up to his room. They were going away for hours. I was hearing things: ‘Oh this happened to me. He tried sleeping with me.’ Too many people were saying the same thing,” she says.
The BBC spoke to more than 25 former disciples – from the UK, Nigeria, US, South Africa, Ghana, Namibia and Germany – who gave powerful corroborating testimony of experiencing or witnessing sexual abuse.
“I couldn’t take it any more. I walked directly into his office on that very day. I shouted at the top of my voice: ‘Why are you doing this? Why are you hurting all these women?’
“I had lost every iota of fear for this man. He tried to stare me down, but I was looking in his eyes,” she says.
Emmanuel, who was part of the church for 21 years and spent more than a decade living in the compound as a disciple, remembers that day clearly.
“He [TB Joshua] was the first person that started hitting her… then other people joined,” he says.
“He was saying: ‘Can you imagine what she’s saying about me?’ Even as much as they were hitting her, beating her, she was still saying the same thing.”
About the late TB Joshua
Temitope Balogun Joshua, popularly known as T. B. Joshua, was a Nigerian charismatic pastor, televangelist, and philanthropist.
He was the leader and founder of SCOAN, one of the continent’s leading megachurches that runs the Emmanuel TV television station from Lagos. Born on June 12, 1963 in Ondo, Nigeria, Joshua died on June 5, 2021, at his base in Lagos, Nigeria.
The website of the Synagogue Church of All Nations (SCOAN), the megachurch founded by the late Nigerian preacher Temitope Balogun (TB) Joshua, has been following the BBC’s release of a damning documentary about his alleged sexual crimes and torture.
The documentary, titled “Disciples: The Cult of TB Joshua”, was aired on BBC Africa Eye on 8 January 2024.
It featured dozens of former members and workers of SCOAN, who accused Joshua of raping and abusing them, forcing them to have abortions, and faking his “miracle healings”.
The BBC also reported that Joshua had covered up his role in the collapse of a building at his church in 2014, which killed at least 116 people, mostly South Africans.
The documentary has sparked outrage and condemnation from many Nigerians and Africans, who have called for justice and accountability for the victims of Joshua’s alleged atrocities.
However a visit to SCOAN’s website, www.scoan.org, shows the message “This page isn’t working. www.scoan.org took too long to respond. HTTP ERROR 504. Reload.”
The Independent Ghana has no knowledge of how whether the website was accessible before the exposé, and it is unclear whether the current downtime is related to the recent allegations against the founder of the church.
However, many observers have found the development intriguing, given the recent events surrounding the ministry.
The church’s social media accounts, such as Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube, are however still active.
TB Joshua, who died in June 2021 at the age of 57, was one of Africa’s most influential and controversial evangelists, with millions of followers across the continent and beyond. He was the founder of SCOAN, a Christian megachurch that runs the Emmanuel TV television station from Lagos, Nigeria.
A video of the late Ghanaian president John Evans Atta-Mills visiting the Synagogue Church of All Nations (SCOAN) in Nigeria in 2009 has resurfaced on social media, following the BBC’s exposé on Temitope Balogun (TB) Joshua’s life and ministry.
The video, which has been posted on several social media platforms, shows Atta-Mills giving a testimony of how TB Joshua prophesied his victory in the 2008 presidential election, which was decided by a run-off and a subsequent re-run in some constituencies.
Atta-Mills said when he informed TB Joshua about the 2008 elections, the “man of God” told him that he would face three elections, and that the final result would be announced in January 2009.
“When I told him that our elections would be on December 7th and that there was a possibility that the results would be announced on the 8th, 9th, or 10th of December, he looked at me for some time, smiled, and said, ‘I don’t see it that way. I can see three different elections ahead of you, and the results are going to be declared in January,” he said.
He said the prophecy came to pass, as he won the election after a third round of voting, and was declared the winner on January 3, 2009. He said he came back to the church to thank God and TB Joshua for the prophetic message and the prayers.
“I was asking myself if there is a runoff, and the runoff is usually on the 28th of December. Give ourselves two days for the Electoral Commissioner to come out with the results. Well, how possible that would run into January? Well, I kept these words at the back of my mind. We had the elections, all right, on December 7th. There was a runoff on December 28th, and then we had a third election in one constituency, and the results were announced in January,” he added.
He also said he wanted to be a good leader who would serve God and the people of Ghana with humility, wisdom and strength. He said he believed that God had a purpose for his life and his presidency.
“My prayer to God is to give me nothing but wisdom, wisdom to undertake my responsibilities, give me a big heart to play the role that Himself has chosen for me. And we should always remember that nobody came into the world on his or her own. The creator brought us into this world and he directs our affairs. I believe that the elections in Ghana have changed the minds of many people. I believe there are many people who are going to give themselves to God because of what has happened and would always want God’s name to be glorified,” he remarked.
Atta-Mills died in July 2012, while still in office, after a short illness. He was succeeded by his vice-president, John Dramani Mahama.
TB Joshua died on June 5, 2021, a week before his 58th birthday. He was a popular and controversial preacher, who claimed to perform miracles and healings. He had millions of followers across Africa and around the world.
As the late Nigerian preacher TB Joshua faces allegations of rape, torture, and abuse from former followers, we look back at his special friendship with Ghana’s former president John Atta-Mills, who died in office in 2012.
Atta-Mills, who served as president from 2009 to 2012, was a regular visitor to Joshua’s church, the Synagogue Church of All Nations (SCOAN), in Lagos, Nigeria. He credited Joshua for his victory in the 2008 Ghanaian presidential election, and often sought his counsel and prayers.
In 2009, Atta-Mills attended a thanksgiving service at SCOAN, where he delivered a heartfelt speech, expressing his gratitude to God and Joshua for their role in his life and the affairs of Ghana.
He then shared a prophetic message he received from Joshua about the outcome of the election, which turned out to be accurate.
The late president of the Republic of Ghana then said a heartfelt prayer to God saying, “My prayer to God is to give me nothing but wisdom, wisdom to undertake my responsibilities, give me a big heart to play the role that Himself has chosen for me.”
Atta-Mills died on 24 July 2012, at the age of 68. He was the first Ghanaian president to die in office. His vice-president, John Dramani Mahama, was sworn in as his successor.
TB Joshua, who died on 5 June 2021, at the age of 57 was among the dignitaries who attended Atta-Mills’ funeral in Accra. He was also one of Africa’s most influential evangelists, with millions of followers across the continent and beyond. He was seen as controversial and faced accusations of hate speech, fraud, and sexual abuse.He was the founder of SCOAN, a Christian megachurch that runs the Emmanuel TV television station from Lagos, Nigeria.
Read a transcript of his statement below.
“I want to thank the Almighty for making it possible for me to be here this morning to take part in this Thanksgiving service. I am no stranger to the synagogue; indeed, I’ve been coming here very regularly, and I’ve known the man of God for more than 10 years. Indeed, I first met him when I was the Vice President of the Republic of Ghana, and I’ve continued to maintain the relationship ever since.
What I’ve seen today is a rather humbling experience for me. You remember a few weeks ago, I came around, and when I was interviewed, I made reference to the fact that I will be contesting for the presidency in Ghana in December elections. Now, if there is anybody who does not believe in God, I would say that our elections should change that person’s mind and let him believe in God.
We prayed for peace and stability and unity for our dear nation before, during, and after the election. We cry to God because he is our creator and the provider of all these. God gave us more than we asked for.
My brothers and sisters in Christ, the man of God took special interest in what was happening with the organization of prayer groups and all, and I know that many of my brothers and sisters in the congregation also took it upon themselves to pray not only for our Atta-Mills but for all the competitors and also for Mother Ghana.
I thank you all, and I would urge that we continue to pray not only for Atta-Mills but for Mother Ghana so that we remain united, stable, and we enjoy peace. The words of our national anthem or some of the words say that God should bless our homeland Ghana and make our nation great and strong.
This is what I would wish for our dear nation. There were times when, as a human being, the body was weak but the soul was willing. Sometimes one began to ask questions, and on such occasions, I would call the man of God or he would call me and say, “How are you now?” Let me just say one thing.
When I told him that our elections would be on December 7th and that there was a possibility that the results would be announced on the 8th, 9th, or 10th of December, he looked at me for some time, smiled, and said, “I don’t see it that way. I can see three different elections ahead of you, and the results are going to be declared in January.”
I was asking myself if there is a runoff, and the runoff is usually on the 28th of December. Give ourselves two days for the Electoral Commissioner to come out with the results. Well, how possible that would run into January? Well, I kept these words at the back of my mind.
We had the elections, all right, on December 7th. There was a runoff on December 28th, and then we had a third election in one constituency, and the results were announced in January.
My brothers and sisters in Christ, God is all-knowing, God is omnipresent, omniscient, and indeed the only repository of wisdom, knowledge, and understanding. My prayer to God is to give me nothing but wisdom, wisdom to undertake my responsibilities, give me a big heart to play the role that Himself has chosen for me.
And we should always remember that nobody came into the world on his or her own. The creator brought us into this world and he directs our affairs. I believe that the elections in Ghana have changed the minds of many people. I believe there are many people who are going to give themselves to God because of what has happened and would always want God’s name to be glorified.
I come here as the same old John Evans Atta-Mills. I may probably have a title, but I’m the same person, and I will continue to come here whenever the opportunity offers itself because there is strength in fellowship, there is strength in sharing views and ideas with like-minded people.
My brothers and sisters, we are all the same children of God. Let’s help one another, let’s hold each other’s hands, and whatever happens to us, let’s give praise to the Almighty God. Man of God, I want to thank you, and I want to thank the Almighty for using you and many others. God, we thank you for your glory. May your name be praised forever and ever.”
The BBC reported that the late mega church leader TB Joshua is accused of committing sexual crimes on a large scale. It was also revealed that he kept his own daughter locked up, tortured her for many years, and eventually left her homeless on the streets of Lagos, Nigeria.
My dad was always afraid. One of the pastor’s daughters, Ajoke, was very scared that someone would tell the truth about the abuse she saw at her father’s church, the Synagogue Church of All Nations (Scoan). She was the first person to reach out to the BBC about it.
TB Joshua, who passed away in 2021 at 57 years old, is accused of hurting and mistreating many people for almost 20 years.
At 27 years old, Ajoke is hiding and has changed her last name from “Joshua. ” The BBC is not sharing her new name.
Not much is known about Ajoke’s birth mother, but it is thought that she was a member of TB Joshua’s church. Ajoke says she grew up with Evelyn, who was Joshua’s wife, from a very young age.
Until Ajoke was seven years old, she had a really good childhood and went on fun vacations with the Joshua family to places like Dubai.
But one day, everything was different. She got in trouble at school and had to leave for a while. Then a writer in the area said she was TB Joshua’s child but not born in marriage. She was taken out of school and brought to the Scoan compound in Lagos.
“I was told to go to the disciples’ room. ” I didn’t choose to be a follower. “I had to join,” she says.
The disciples were a special group of loyal followers who lived with and served TB Joshua inside the church building. People from different countries came to the compound and many of them stayed there for a long time.
They had to follow strict rules: they couldn’t sleep for long, they couldn’t use their phones or check their emails, and they had to call TB Joshua “Daddy”.
The followers were influenced and made things possible. Everyone was just following orders without thinking – like zombies. She says that no one was asking any questions.
As a child, Ajoke didn’t like to follow the rules like the other kids: she didn’t want to stand up when the pastor came in and didn’t like being told when to sleep.
The treatment began shortly after.
Shortly after she got there at seven years old, she was hit for wetting the bed and made to walk around with a sign that said she wets the bed.
One former female follower said that they were told Ajoke had bad spirits inside her that needed to be removed.
Once, in the meetings with his followers, he said that people could defeat her. Anyone in the girls’dorm could hit her and I only saw people slapping her as they walked by,” she says.
When Ajoke moved to the church in the Ikotun neighborhood of Lagos, people didn’t treat her nicely.
Rae, from the UK, says that she was seen as the outsider in her family. She lived in the church for 12 years as a follower. Like most of the former followers asked by the BBC, she chose to only give her first name.
Rae remembers when Ajoke slept for a long time and Joshua yelled at her to wake up.
Another follower brought her to the shower and beat her with an electrical cord before turning on the hot water, she explained.
Ajoke remembers that she was shouting very loudly and the water kept running on her head for a long time.
She says the abuse never stopped.
“We’re talking about many years of mistreatment. “Regular treatment I, as a child from a different mother, made everything that he [TB Joshua] believed in look less important.
The abuse got worse when she was 17 and talked to her dad about people who had been sexually abused.
“I saw some women followers go up to his room. ” They were leaving for a long time. I heard people saying,”Oh, this happened to me. “”He tried to have sex with me. A lot of people were saying the same thing,” she says.
The BBC talked to more than 25 former followers from different countries. They all said they experienced or saw sexual abuse.
“I couldn’t handle it anymore. ” I went straight into his office on that exact day. I yelled really loud and asked,”Why are you doing this. Why are you hurting all these women. “
I wasn’t scared of this man at all. “He tried to make me look away, but I kept looking into his eyes,” she says.
Emmanuel was in the church for 21 years and lived in the compound for over 10 years. He remembers that day very well.
“He [TB Joshua] was the first person to start hitting her. and then other people joined in,” he said.
“He was asking if you can picture what she’s saying about me. Even though they were hitting and beating her, she kept saying the same thing. “
Investigative journalist Anas Aremeyaw Anas is urging the public to approach the controversies surrounding the late T.B. Joshua from a human rights perspective rather than solely as a religious matter.
His comments follow the release of a BBC documentary revealing alleged abuses within the Synagogue Church of All Nations (SCOAN), led by the lateProphet TB Joshua.
The documentary brings to light instances of sexual abuse, rape allegations, and manipulations of miracles within the SCOAN. Anas emphasized in an interview with Arise News that the primary focus should be on the documented cases of abuse rather than religion.
“I think that the major takeaway from this documentary is the level of abuse we’ve all seen in the film. And I don’t want us to look at this with the lenses of religion.
It is a pure human rights abuse story that all of us as journalists have been doing and what you have is the situation where girls have been raped, sexually abused and manipulations of miracles and others. its about time we say no to these things, we stand firm and say it as it is to let people know what the real story is,” he said.
“I don’t think this is an attack on the church; I have emphasised that we are not here to talk about religion; we are here to talk about human rights abuses. We have done stories on human rights abuses, and this is not any different from the stories we do. I think that if there is something wrong, we should have the courage as journalists to be able to tell it as it is.
“The death of a person does not mean that the issue is dead. There are equally important and many poor people who have suffered as a result of these atrocities.
“We talk about Hitler today; he is dead but we still talk about the atrocities and the human rights abuses he meted out to people,” he added.
Investigative journalist Anas Aremeyaw Anas is urging the public to approach the controversies surrounding the late T.B. Joshua from a human rights perspective rather than solely as a religious matter.
His comments follow the release of a BBC documentary revealing alleged abuses within the Synagogue Church of All Nations (SCOAN), led by the lateProphet TB Joshua.
The documentary brings to light instances of sexual abuse, rape allegations, and manipulations of miracles within the SCOAN. Anas emphasized in an interview with Arise News that the primary focus should be on the documented cases of abuse rather than religion.
“I think that the major takeaway from this documentary is the level of abuse we’ve all seen in the film. And I don’t want us to look at this with the lenses of religion;
It is a pure human rights abuse story that all of us as journalists have been doing and what you have is the situation where girls have been raped, sexually abused and manipulations of miracles and others. its about time we say no to these things, we stand firm and say it as it is to let people know what the real story is,” he said.
“I don’t think this is an attack on the church; I have emphasised that we are not here to talk about religion; we are here to talk about human rights abuses. We have done stories on human rights abuses, and this is not any different from the stories we do. I think that if there is something wrong, we should have the courage as journalists to be able to tell it as it is.
“The death of a person does not mean that the issue is dead. There are equally important and many poor people who have suffered as a result of these atrocities.
“We talk about Hitler today; he is dead but we still talk about the atrocities and the human rights abuses he meted out to people,” he added.
New evidence exposed by the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) reveals TB Joshua‘s concealment of Dead Bodies and Intimidation Tactics in 2014 Church Building Collapse Tragedy”
BBC has uncovered fresh evidence suggesting that the late Nigerian megachurch leader, TB Joshua, engaged in the concealment of dead bodies and intimidation tactics.
These alleged actions were purportedly carried out to obscure his involvement in the tragic collapse of a building in 2014, which claimed the lives of at least 116 people at his church.
The revelations shed new light on the controversial incident, raising questions about accountability and transparency surrounding one of Nigeria’s most prominent religious figures.
The collapse stands as one of the most devastating disasters ever to befall a place of worship on the African continent.
The BBC’s probe marks the initial instance where individuals within TB Joshua’s Synagogue Church of All Nations (SCOAN) in Lagos have provided evidence regarding the causes of the incident almost a decade ago.
The investigation sheds light on allegations of the pastor orchestrating a cover-up surrounding the tragic event.
It comes in the wake of the BBC’s discovery of extensive abuse and torture perpetrated by the founder of one of the globe’s largest Christian evangelical congregations.
Two days after the collapse on 12 September 2014, TB Joshua publicly said it was linked to an aircraft that flew over the building used to house visiting pilgrims.
But an inquiry by a Lagos coroner agreed with emergency workers that structural failure had caused the guest house to collapse, and said it had been built without proper planning permission.
Eyewitnesses told the BBC that TB Joshua had been warned of serious structural problems prior to the disaster. They say the aeroplane explanation was a “lie”.
“He knew the building was unstable,” says Emmanuel, who spent more than a decade as a disciple of TB Joshua – a group of devout followers who lived in his church in Lagos.
Like most of the former disciples interviewed by the BBC, he opted to only use his first name.
He described the pastor receiving a report, hours before the collapse, that the building was “swaying” and “shaking”.
Multiple witnesses say the visitors were not warned. Instead more than 200 of them were led into the building’s dining room on the ground floor to eat their lunch – where they were seated when all six storeys of concrete descended on top of them.
Many were killed instantly, but more than 100 were trapped inside alive.
“I could hear people crying out: ‘Help me, help me, help me,’” says Emmanuel, who was on the scene within minutes of the collapse.
“Their voices were fading and you could tell these people were dying off.”
Others described horrifically injured victims, with missing eyes and limbs – splintered by the beams which came down on top of them.
“It was quite clear that that building was never built for the height that TB Joshua built it to,” says Rae, from the UK, who spent 12 years living in the church as a disciple.
She says she was present when TB Joshua ordered his workers to construct additional floors: “The foundations weren’t built to hold a building of that many storeys.
“He just kept kind of pushing and saying: ‘I want it higher. It must go higher. It must go higher.’”
The church insiders who spoke to the BBC also say lives could potentially have been saved had TB Joshua responded promptly to the collapse itself. Instead, they say, he blocked emergency services from accessing the site for 24 hours – an allegation corroborated by news reports at the time.
During this crucial window for rescuing people and assisting the injured, the BBC’s eyewitnesses say some church workers attempted to save lives in reckless and amateur ways. Without the use of mechanical equipment or medical training, they used tools from the church’s maintenance department.
In one instance, a church worker allegedly used a chainsaw to amputate the leg of a man who was trapped under a fallen beam.
“He was screaming!” says Emmanuel, visibly shaken during his interview. He is not sure if the man survived.
“I saw a lot of things that really traumatised me… faces were crushed,” says Michael, a disciple who was in his late teens at the time.
Eyewitness testimonies of the horrific aftermath have never been published before, with many church insiders sworn to secrecy, and the site of the collapse shielded from public view by a large wall.
Three sources, including Michael, say TB Joshua ordered his workers to move piles of dead bodies away from the building collapse site during the night, to hide them from the media and the authorities.
Two say they were asked to film this activity, and to deliver the tapes to TB Joshua in his office.
“We were recording them as they put them into body bags… loads and loads of people,” says Michael.
Chloe, a former disciple of TB Joshua from the UK, also witnessed the aftermath of the collapse. She says she got into a bus and immediately noticed an awful smell.
The driver told her the vehicle was “full of dead bodies… and we’re transporting them at night so that the press can’t see them”.
Multiple sources believe that the death toll was higher than the 116 figure given by the church, and cited friends and church workers who were inside at the time of the collapse who they say were not recorded in the official list of the dead.
The BBC has released a compelling three-part documentary series titled ‘The Cult of TB Joshua,’ delving into the intricate world surrounding the late Nigerian televangelist and faith healer, Prophet T.B. Joshua.
The series sheds light on the controversial aspects of his ministry and the impact it has had on followers around the globe.
The documentary explores various facets of T.B. Joshua’s charismatic and influential personality, delving into the practices and beliefs that garnered both admiration and criticism during his lifetime.
The series is designed to provide a comprehensive understanding of the dynamics within the Synagogue, Church of All Nations (SCOAN), where T.B. Joshua served as the founder and spiritual leader.
The BBC found proof that the leader of one of the largest Christian churches has been abusing and torturing many people.
Many former members of the Synagogue Church of all Nations, including five from Britain, say that they experienced terrible things such as rape and forced abortions by the church’s leader, TB Joshua, who has since died.
There have been reports of abuse in a private area in Lagos for almost 20 years.
The Synagogue Church of All Nations did not reply to the accusations, but said that previous claims have been untrue.
TB Joshua was a popular and successful preacher who had a lot of fans all over the world. He passed away in 2021.
The BBC studied something for two years and found out some things.
Many people saw Joshua hurt or torture others, including hurting children and tying people up.
Many women say Joshua sexually hurt them. Some say it happened many times for years in the compound. Several claims of women being made to have abortions in the church after being raped by Joshua. One woman says she had five abortions. Many people have said that Joshua pretended to heal people in a special way and this was show non TV to many people.
A British woman named Rae, who was 21 years old,dropped out of university in 2002 and joined the church. For 12 years, she followed Joshua in his complex building in Lagos with other followers.
“We thought we were in a good place, but it was really bad, and bad things were happening,” she said to the BBC.
Rae says that Joshua hurt her and kept her alone for two years.
They also have social media pages with lots of followers. During the 1990s and early 2000s, many people from Europe, the Americas, South East Asia and Africa went to a church in Nigeria to see Joshua do “healing miracles”. Over 150 people stayed with him as students in his place in Lagos for many years.
Over 25 former followers talked to the BBC from different countries like the UK, Nigeria, US, South Africa, Ghana, Namibia, and Germany. They shared their stories about their time in the church, with some experiences happening in 2019. Many of the people who were hurt were in their teenage years when they first became involved. Joshua and other UK churches paid for some British people to go to Lagos.
Rae and many other people said their experiences were like being in a cult.
Jessica Kaimu, from Namibia, says she suffered for more than five years. She says that when she was 17, Joshua raped her for the first time, and that he continued to rape her, which resulted in her having five abortions.
“We were receiving unsafe medical treatments that could have killed us,” she told the BBC.
Other people who were interviewed said they were undressed and hit with electric cables and horse whips, and were never allowed to sleep regularly.
When TB Joshua died in June 2021, people said he was one of the most important pastors in African history. He came from being very poor and built a big religious group with lots of famous people and politicians involved.
During his lifetime, he caused some trouble when a guesthouse for church visitors fell down in 2014, and at least 116 people died.
More about the claims made by TB Joshua
The BBC and Open Democracy worked together to investigate for the first time multiple former church insiders speaking out about their experiences. They have been trying for years to warn others, but they have been stopped from doing so.
Some people in Nigeria say they were hurt or shot at after speaking out about abuse and posting videos on YouTube.
In March 2022, a BBC team tried to film the church’s Lagos compound from a public street but the church’s security shot at them and they were held for several hours.
The BBC talked to Scoan about the claims in our research. It did not answer them, but said that the things people said about TB Joshua before were not true.
“Accusing Prophet TB Joshua of things with no proof has happened before. None of the accusations have been proven true,” it said.
Four British people told the BBC that they told the UK authorities about the abuse after leaving the church. They said nothing more was done.
Also, a man and his wife from Britain sent email about what they went through and videos showing them being held at gunpoint by men who said they were police and members of Scoan, to the British High Commission in Nigeria in March 2010 after leaving the church. The man said in an email that Joshua had sexually assaulted and raped his wife many times. He told the commission that there are other British people still in the building and they are facing terrible things.
He also says that nothing was done.
The UK Foreign Office did not answer these claims, but they told the BBC that they take all reports of crime against British people in other countries very seriously, including sexual assault and violence.
Scoan is still doing well today, with Joshua’s widow, Evelyn, leading the way. In July 2023, she guided a group of people on a trip to Spain.
Anneka, who moved from Derby to the UK to join Scoan when she was 17 years old, told the BBC that she thinks there are many more people who have been hurt but haven’t said anything yet. She wants more action to be taken to find out what Joshua did.
“I think we need to investigate why this man was able to do what he did for so long at the Synagogue Church of All Nations,” she said.
The Synagogue Church of All Nation, SCOAN, has announced the burial proceedings of the late Prophet Temitope Balogun, TB, Joshua.
T.B. Joshua who died on Saturday, June 5, will be buried on Friday, July 9, 2021.
A press briefing by some leaders of SCOAN and a notice posted on social media noted the activities for the burial have been programmed for a week.
According to the proceedings, the church is working closely with the Lagos State government, Ministry of Health to ensure all the health protocols will be observed throughout the duration of the event.
It was mentioned that all activities will be broadcasted live on Emmanuel TV.
They appealed to all persons who will be unable to attend the event to watch the broadcast at the comfort of their homes as the seats available at the event opened to the public will be limited.
The programme is as follows:
Monday, July 5, 2021 – Candle light procession Time – 6pm A private service.
Tuesday, July 6, 2021 – Tribute service Venue – Church premises Time – 10 am – 7pm Open to the public but limited seats.
Tuesday Night – All-night praise service Venue – Church premises Open to the public with limited seats.
Thursday, July 8, 2021 – Lying in state Venue Church premises Time – 11 am – 5 pm Open to the public to file past and pay their last respect
Friday, July 9, 2021 – Laying to rest service Time – 10 am Open to the public
Sunday, July 11th – Thanksgiving service Time – 9am to 11am Open to the public
Nigerian Prophet and Televangelist, TB Joshua has returned from the mountains, where he said he was going to pray without ceasing so God can reveal himself to him, with a powerful message.
Upon his return, the head of the Synagogue Church of All Nations said God is angry the government has decided to suspend church activities owing to Covid-19.
He explained that the ban on churches and lockdown has put the souls of people in serious, enslavement and anger. He made this known while delivering a sermon via Facebook Live.
He said;
“Our leaders are doing good for the world but what you are trying to protect us from is not as dangerous as what you are putting us into.
That spirit that has entered your life spirit of fear, spirit of addiction, spirit of violence be cast out! Be cast out! In the name of Jesus!â€
Prophet TB Joshua has finally addressed his botched prophesy in which he claimed the Coronavirus pandemic would end on 27 March 2020.
The religious leader said the Holy Spirit gave him the false prophecy that the pandemic would end on 27 March
Social media users were awaiting the prediction of TB Joshua over the end of the novel coronavirus.
Opening up about the botched prophecy in a fresh interview conducted on his own TV, Emmanual TV, the Synagogue Church of All Nations founder said he was misled by the Holy Spirit.
He said; ‘I am not a politician, I just have to give you the message as the Spirit gave it to me’.
Meanwhile, Joshua has also claimed COVID-19 is a failure in advanced technology adding fuel to the COVID-19 5G conspiracy theories that have overtaken the world.
Temitope Balogun Joshua, commonly referred to as T. B. Joshua, the renowned Nigerian Televangelist has subtly responded to those who were anticipating a heavy rainfall last week to signal the end of the deadly coronavirus in the world.
Many were those who were expecting a heavy downpour to wash away the deadly virus that has killed thousands across the globe as was prophesied by the Founder and Leader of Synagogue Church of All Nations (SCOAN).
It would be recalled that the Man of God had earlier predicted that the noise of coronavirus will be silenced by the end of March 2020.
“Coronavirus, the fearful virus plaguing the world will end on 27th March 2020.†He specifically revealed in a sermon to his congregation.
“By the end of this month, whether we like it or not, no matter the medicine they might have produced to cure whatever, it will go the way it came… If it is not medicine that brought this to the world, medicine cannot take it out, it will go the way it came.†Prophet Joshua said
But several persons descend on him as the day [27th March 2020] ended with no sign of either a rain which he claimed will mark the end of the virus.
Instead he wrote on his official facebook page “Last meeting, I shared with you one of my habits. I am going to share with you today, one more. My viewers, you deserve what I deserve this is a revelation! In the morning, take a cup of hot water and two lemons. Cut the lemon into small slices and put it in the cup. After three to five minutes, begin to sip it as a drink. Refill it three times! I will advise you to move, walk around your compound or premises as you are sipping. After three to five minutes, sip it as a drink. When you are moving and sipping, it helps digestion.†TB Joshua
The founder of the Synagogue Church of All Nations (SCOAN), Temitope Balogun Joshua, simply known as T.B. Joshua has declared the eventual end of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) by the 27th day of March.
The man of God made this declaration in his church on Sunday, March 15, 2020. Prophet T.B. Joshua announced the complete vanishing of the virus all by itself.
TB Joshua who is famous for making several prophetic declarations said the antidote for the virus is not vaccine or pills.
He said:
“I came out at the beginning of this year saying last year will end in March and the year will continue to be very fearful till this month [March]. This month 27th, it will be over. By the end of this month, whether we like it or not no matter the medicine they might have produced to cure whatever, it will go the way it came,â€Â T.B. Joshua declared, adding: “If it is not a medicine that brought this to the world, medicine cannot take it out. It will go the way it came.â€
