Tobi Adegboyega, a Nigerian pastor at the center of a UK deportation controversy, claims he overstayed in the country because he “lost track of time.”
In an interview with the BBC published on Friday, the 44-year-old founder of the SPAC Nation church revealed that he arrived in the UK on a visitor’s visa in 2005 at the age of 25 but failed to legalize his stay.
“I lost track of time,” Adegboyega said, explaining the nearly decade-long delay in regularizing his immigration status. He also stated that he had assumed his family was managing his immigration paperwork.
Reports indicate that Adegboyega has lost his legal battle against deportation from the UK, stemming from allegations of a £1.87 million fraud. Investigations reportedly uncovered misuse of funds by his church, leading to a tribunal ruling in favor of deportation to Nigeria.
However, the charismatic preacher denied these claims during the BBC interview. “There is no deportation order, let me make that clear,” he stated. He described the situation as an “ongoing issue” and said that the decision ultimately rests with the judges.
The allegations of fraud, Adegboyega claimed, were brought forward by “disgruntled members” of his church. “How on earth do you run an organisation without disgruntled people?” he questioned.
The pastor also highlighted his church’s efforts in addressing youth violence in the UK, saying they have been instrumental in removing hundreds of knives from the streets and tackling gun violence.
Critics have frequently targeted Adegboyega’s lavish lifestyle, pointing to his use of luxury items.
Addressing this criticism, he said, “I put on what is right, what connects to the generation I’m speaking to, so they are not attracted to drug dealers.”
