A Nigerian pastor based abroad, Tobi Adegboyega has reportedly lost his battle against deportation from the UK over an alleged £1.87 million fraud.
The founder of the SPAC Nation church, aged 44, was found guilty of some financial misconduct at his church after an investigation by the immigration tribunal.
The immigration tribunal ruled that the socialite failed to properly account for over £1.87 million in expenses and operated without transparency.
The tribunal also stated that former church members accused Adegboyega of running the denomination like a cult.
Earlier, Adegboyega argued that his deportation would infringe upon his right to a family life under the European Convention of Human Rights (ECHR), citing his marriage to a British woman.
Also, the preacher told the tribunal that the Home Office left out his community work with SPAC in the deportation decision.
Describing a “charismatic” community leader of a large, well-organised church, his legal team claimed that he had “intervened in the lives of many hundreds of young people, predominantly from the black communities in London, to lead them away from trouble”.
Adegboyega told the tribunal that notable figures like Boris Johnson and senior officers had in the past commended his works.
He said that without his personal presence in London, projects that he had masterminded would fall apart or reduce in size.
However, the tribunal was told the Home Office contended “all is not as it seems”.
“Various manifestations of Mr Adegboyega’s church have been closed down, by either the Charity Commission or the High Court, because of concerns over its finances and lack of transparency,” according to the judgment.
