A UK immigration tribunal has ruled that Pastor Tobi Adegboyega, founder of Salvation Proclaimers Anointed Church (SPAC Nation), must be deported to Nigeria.
The 44-year-old pastor had appealed to remain in the UK on human rights grounds, citing his marriage to a British citizen and his community work.
Adegboyega arrived in the UK on a visitor’s visa in 2005 but did not leave when it expired. He had sought to remain in the UK, arguing that his deportation would harm his projects and community influence.
About Community Work
Adegboyega claimed that his church had initiated various programmes to rescue troubled youths from gangs and crime. He also stated that his deportation would harm his projects and community influence, which he claimed had been supported by prominent UK figures, including former Prime Minister Boris Johnson.
Additionally, he claimed to have played a crucial role in setting up a food bank that provided 136,000 meals for children.
However, the tribunal judges rejected his appeals, saying he could not be rewarded for breaking the law by his unlawful stay in the UK in the first instance. The tribunal also ruled that Adegboyega had “grossly inflated” his charity contributions to the black community, describing his claims as “hyperbolic” and unsupported by substantive evidence.
They also noted that the pastor failed to provide corroborative evidence that the UK police endorsed and supported his works.
The court ruling stated, “We do, however, note the absence of corroborative evidence concerning the most prominent agencies that the appellant (Adegboyega) claims to be his supporters.“
The tribunal concluded that Adegboyega’s work could continue without his presence in the UK and dismissed his marriage to a British citizen as insufficient to counterbalance his immigration violations.
The Pastor’s Lifestyle
Pastor Adegboyega, who often flaunts a lavish lifestyle of exotic cars, wristwatches, and designer clothing, tried to explain it away in court. He told the judges that his motive for flaunting was to help young people, the major congregation in his church, believe that there are legitimate ways of making money.
During the trial, Adegboyega claimed that he depends solely on his wife, Mary Olubukola Alade, who earns £100,000 per year working for AON. He said that he has never taken a penny from the church and that his wife funds his lifestyle.
Pastor Tobi Adegboyega finally breaks silence. Says UK can not deport him. pic.twitter.com/3S12R9mZj2
— ASAKE 𝐓𝐞𝐫𝐫𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐭 (@AsakeTerrorist) December 4, 2024
But after the ruling, Adegboyega reacted by saying, “I‘m right here at home, no cause for alarm… every Nigerian should be proud of me.”
He also claimed he has “survived all sorts” in the UK and that the matter of his deportation is “the smallest matter.“
No date has been fixed for his deportation.
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