UK to Deport Nigerian Pastor Tobi Adegboyega Over £1.87m Fraud Allegations

Nigerian pastor Tobi Adegboyega, whose controversial church SPAC Nation was shut down over alleged financial misconduct, is set to be deported from the UK. An immigration tribunal ruled against the 44-year-old, citing investigations into the misuse of £1.87 million in church funds.

Adegboyega, a cousin of Star Wars actor John Boyega, had fought deportation on the grounds that it would breach his right to family life under the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR). He argued that his marriage to a British woman and his community work with SPAC Nation warranted his continued stay in the UK. His legal team described him as a charismatic leader who had positively impacted the lives of many young people in London, especially from Black communities. They claimed his efforts had been praised by politicians, including Boris Johnson, and senior Metropolitan Police figures, though no formal testimony supporting these claims was provided in court.

The Home Office, however, presented a starkly different narrative. Officials contended that SPAC Nation had been implicated in financial misconduct and a lack of transparency. The tribunal was informed of allegations from former church members who described SPAC Nation as a cult, claiming vulnerable individuals were pressured into donating money through extreme measures such as taking loans, committing benefit fraud, and even selling their blood. The church leadership, it was alleged, used these funds to sustain lavish lifestyles.

Adegboyega, who overstayed his visitor visa after arriving in the UK in 2005, had applied for leave to remain in 2019 based on his family life. While maintaining that no criminal charges had been brought against him or SPAC Nation, he alleged that criticisms of the church were politically motivated and unfounded. The tribunal, however, sided with the findings of the Charity Commission, which identified “serious misconduct and/or mismanagement” within the organization.

The tribunal dismissed Adegboyega’s claims, describing parts of his testimony as exaggerated and implausible. It found that SPAC Nation’s charitable activities would not collapse or significantly suffer if he were deported. The tribunal concluded that his family and private life relationships, established while he was unlawfully in the UK, could continue after his return to Nigeria.

The ruling affirmed that the decision to refuse Adegboyega leave to remain was lawful and proportionate, paving the way for his removal from the UK.