Even though he claimed that deportation would violate his human rights, a Nigerian pastor whose church was closed due to an alleged £1.87 million scam has lost his battle against it.
Following investigations, notably by BrandSpur digital news platform, that revealed financial mismanagement by his church, an immigration tribunal has decided that Tobi Adegboyega, 44, the cousin of Star Wars actor John Boyega, should be sent back to his home country of Nigeria.
Mr. Adegboyega was the leader of SPAC Nation, a contentious church that was shut down for operating opaquely and failing to accurately account for nearly £1.87 million in outgoings. He claimed that because he married a British woman, deportation would violate his right to a family life under the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR). He added that his community work with SPAC was not taken into consideration when the Home Office tried to remove him. His legal team characterized him as a “charismatic” community leader of a sizable, well-run church who had “intervened in the lives of many hundreds of young people, predominantly from the black communities in London, to lead them away from trouble.”
Though no testimony from them was presented to the court, he asserted that politicians like Boris Johnson and high-ranking officers in the Metropolitan Police had “lauded” his efforts. He said that projects he had planned would fail or shrink in scope if he were not physically present in London.
But according to the panel, the Home Office argued that: “All is not as it seems.”
Following the tribunal’s judgment: “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.”
Furthering: “Former members of the church have alleged that it is a cult, in which impoverished young people are encouraged to do anything they can to donate money, including taking out large loans, committing benefit fraud and even selling their own blood.
“It is alleged that the church leadership leads lavish lifestyles, and there have, it is said, been instances of abuse. The [Home Office’s] case before us was that all of this needs to be taken into account when evaluating whether [Mr. Adegboyega] is, in fact, of real value to the UK,” they added.
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Ever since he overstayed his visitation visa in 2005, Mr. Adegboyega has been living in the UK illegally. He requested leave to stay in 2019 in accordance with the ECHR’s right to a family life. Before he filed an appeal, a first-tier immigration panel had first denied his application. He argued during the trial that accusations that his church was a cult were baseless, that no one had ever been charged with a crime related to its finances, and that many of the attacks on him and SPAC Nation were political. However, the tribunal was informed that the Charity Commission concluded.
BrandSpur digital news platform reports that the tribunal called his evidence: “Hyperbolic in many instances” and had “sought to grossly inflate his influence”.
According to them: “We find it to be implausible that he has the time to undertake all of this work personally.”
The tribunal concluded: “We are not satisfied that the good work that SPAC Nation undertakes generally would collapse or even significantly suffer should the Appellant be required to leave the UK.
“Weighing all of the foregoing in the balance we conclude that the decision to refuse leave to remain was wholly proportionate.
“Mr Adegboyega seeks to rely on family and private life relationships, all of which have been established whilst he was in the UK unlawfully, and which would survive his return to Nigeria.
“The interference would therefore be limited, and lawful in all the circumstances.”
