Sexual Crime, Fake Miracles: List of Key Allegations Levelled Against TB Joshua in BBC Documentary
- Even in death, Pastor Temitope Balogun Joshua still faces constant controversy over his style of ministry
- The late pastor founded the Synagogue Church of All Nations (SCOAN) with several disciples worldwide
- However, some of his disciples gave testimony against him in an extensive 3-episode documentary released by BBC on Monday, January 8
Legit.ng journalist Segun Adeyemi has over 9 years of experience covering political events, civil societies, courts, and metro
An extensive BBC investigation across three continents has revealed that the late Temitope Balogun Joshua, a charismatic Nigerian leader heading one of the largest evangelical churches globally, allegedly engaged in widespread sexual misconduct in secret.
Numerous survivors have come forward with testimonies indicating that Joshua allegedly abused and sexually assaulted young women from various parts of the world multiple times per week over nearly two decades.
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Numerous former members of the Synagogue Church of All Nations, including five individuals from the UK, have come forward with accusations of atrocities committed by the late TB Joshua in Nigeria.
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The alleged abuses, which range from rape to forced abortions, are said to have occurred over nearly two decades within the confines of a secretive compound in Lagos.
The Synagogue Church of All Nations has not responded to these claims, although they assert that previous accusations were baseless.
TB Joshua, a charismatic and widely followed preacher and televangelist, passed away in 2021.
The BBC's extensive two-year investigation reveals these troubling allegations:
1. Alleged sexual crime
In 2002, a 21-year-old British woman named Rae, who had left her studies at Brighton University, became a church recruit led by Joshua.
Over 12 years, she lived as one of Joshua's "disciples" within the intricate concrete compound in Lagos.
Rae said:
"We all thought we were in heaven, but we were in hell, and in hell terrible things happen."
Rae disclosed that she experienced sexual assault by Joshua and endured a type of solitary confinement lasting two years.
The severity of the abuse led her to make multiple suicide attempts within the compound.
2. Fake miracles
A significant aspect of the strategy involved fabricating what Agomoh Paul describes as "miracles," a process he claims to have supervised. According to him and additional sources, individuals who were purportedly "cured" were frequently remunerated to simulate or exaggerate their symptoms before the alleged healing occurred.
In certain instances, it is asserted that individuals were unknowingly administered drugs or given medication to enhance their conditions while attending the church. Subsequently, they were convinced to provide testimonials regarding their recovery.
Additionally, some individuals were misled into believing they had tested positive for HIV/AIDS and were informed, falsely, that through Joshua's interventions, they had miraculously become virus-free.
3. Forced abortions
As reported by BBC, Jessica Kaimu, a Namibian, says her ordeal lasted more than five years.
She revealed that she was 17 when Pastor Joshua first raped her and that subsequent instances of rape by TB Joshua led to her having five forced abortions while there.
Kaimu said:
"These were backdoor type… medical treatments that we were going through… it could have killed us."
4. Threats of violence
Several British citizens who spoke to the BBC revealed that they informed UK authorities about the abuse they endured after leaving the church. Despite their reports, they assert that no further action was taken.
Moreover, a British couple shared eyewitness accounts and video evidence, including recordings of being held at gunpoint by individuals identifying themselves as police and Scoan members, with the British High Commission in Nigeria in March 2010, following their departure from the church.
In his email, the man detailed his wife's repeated sexual assaults and rapes by Joshua, cautioning the commission about the ongoing atrocities faced by other British nationals still within the compound.
The individual claims that the commission took no action.
While the UK Foreign Office did not respond directly to these allegations, they informed the BBC that they treat all reports of crime, especially those involving sexual assault and violence against British nationals abroad, with utmost seriousness.
5. Torture of disciples
Some individuals interviewed reported instances of being undressed and subjected to physical assault using electric cables and horse whips, along with frequent denial of sleep.
Witnesses in Nigeria shared accounts of facing physical attacks, including gunfire in one case, after publicly denouncing abuse and sharing related videos on YouTube.
In March 2022, a BBC team attempting to film the church's Lagos compound from a public street was shot at by the church's security, leading to their detention for several hours.
The BBC reached out to Scoan regarding the allegations in their investigation; however, there was no response, although the church refuted previous accusations against TB Joshua.
Man who worked at SCOAN recounts how miracles were recorded
Meanwhile, Paul Agomoh told the story of how cameramen were told to work at TB Joshua's church.
The man said the late TB Joshua gave them a law to record every miracle at the Synagogue Church of All Nations.
Paul, who described himself as very close to TB Joshua, said the late prophet came with something powerfully different.
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