Nigeria's disgraced televangelist TB Joshua
Published
8 January


TB Joshua preached across the world

Before his death in 2021 at the age of 57, TB Joshua was one of Africa's most influential televangelists.

The Christian preacher attracted followers from all over the world by claiming to perform miracles, like curing blindness and HIV.

However, an investigation by the BBC has uncovered more than a decade of allegations of rape and torture by him inside his compound in Lagos.

Joshua amassed great wealth throughout his career, possessing a fleet of cars and travelling via private jet.

But his beginnings were far more humble. Born Temitope Balogun Joshua to a poor family on 12 June 1963, he was raised by a Muslim uncle after his Christian father died.

One of the claims he made was that he had been in his mother's womb for 15 months.

He also said that during his early days, he experienced a three-day trance in which he was called to serve God.

"I am your God. I am giving you a divine commission to go and carry out the work of the heavenly father," Joshua declared.

It was then that he started the Synagogue, Church of All Nations (Scoan), with eight members.

Joshua and Scoan rose to prominence in the late 1990s, amid an explosion of "miracle" programmes performed by pastors on Nigerian TV.

Tens of thousands of followers from Nigeria and around the world would regularly attend his services in Lagos, Nigeria's biggest city, in an attempt to be healed and hear the preacher's "prophecies".

Joshua also took his ministry on tour, visiting other African countries, the UK, US, and nations in South America.


Men and women used to fall during "healing" sessions at the Synagogue Church of All Nations

In testament to his vast reach, the Lagos state government turned to Joshua in an effort to control the spread of Ebola during the 2014 outbreak in other West African countries.

Officials asked Joshua to tell infected followers in Liberia, Guinea and Sierra Leone - the worst affected countries - not to travel to Joshua's Lagos church for healing.

He agreed to suspend some of the church's healing programmes but is also said to have sent 4,000 bottles of "anointing water" to Sierra Leone, falsely claiming they could cure the disease.

Joshua's anointing water was always in high demand - in 2013 a rush for the bottles at his church in Ghana led to the death of four people in a stampede.

Many criticised the preacher following the incident but police in Ghana said it was difficult to apportion blame.

In an even deadlier case the following year, one of Joshua's churches collapsed in Lagos, killing at least 116 people.

The preacher never faced charges, despite a coroner in a Lagos court saying that "the church was culpable because of criminal negligence".

Although thousands packed his churches, Joshua always struggled to be accepted by his peers.

Ostracised by both the Christian Association of Nigeria (Can) and the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN), he was described as an "impostor" who belonged to a group of "occults" that had infiltrated Christianity.

"He was rough. He was crude. His methods were unorthodox," Abimbola Adelakun, assistant professor in the African Studies Department at the University of Texas, told the BBC in 2021.

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More on TB Joshua and allegations

Allegations: Church leader abused and raped disciples, BBC finds
Long read: 'Terrible things happened' - inside TB Joshua's church of horrors
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While the growth of the internet and social media helped him spread his message, it also revealed increasing opposition to Joshua and other wealthy mega-church pastors.

Some critics took issue with Joshua - known as "the prophet" by his followers - claiming to have predicted numerous events, from the death of Michael Jackson, to the disappearance of the Malaysian plane MH370 in 2014.

Before Jackson's death in 2009, TB Joshua told his congregation : "In his own area he is famous. He is known everywhere. Great. Too great. Because I see something will begin to happen to that star and that will likely end in him to pack his load and go to the journey of no return but I don't know when that journey [is]."

Six months later, Joshua used the star's shock death as proof that he could supposedly see the future.

Despite making such outlandish claims, Joshua had numerous high-profile followers.

South African politician Julius Malema, Malawi's former President Joyce Banda, long-time Zimbabwe opposition leader, the late Morgan Tsvangirai and the former president of Ghana, the late John Atta Mills, are among the prominent Africans who paid homage to Joshua while he was alive.


Joshua's followers used to call him "the prophet"

Joshua career really took off when he began preaching on Emmanuel TV, a television station run by SCOAN.

Along with being a platform for his sermons, the station broadcast accounts of people who said their lives were changed for the better because of the preacher's ministry.

Testimonies included stories about financial prosperity, inexplicable recoveries from illness and even people supposedly being awakened from the dead.

Joshua was also known for his charity work, for which Nigeria's former president, the late Umaru Yar'Adua, awarded him the Order of the Federal Republic, one of the country's highest honours.

When the preacher died - of a cause that was never made public - mourners travelled from across the globe to Lagos for his burial service.

His wife, Evelyn Joshua, took over as head of the the church. They had three children.

But that legacy now lies in tatters.

BBC

Nigeria's disgraced televangelist TB Joshua.

Give it a rest, you have been hyperactive on this matter since the documentary aired. Disgrace only comes when a man who is alive is unable to defend himself or clear his name of wrong doing.

RightChanneI:


It is TB Joshua matter that will destroy your miserable life just write it down

You must have invested so much in this charlatan for you to be so pained. I just hope you can defend the gospel truth the way you are defending Fatai Balogun?

HeatSeeker:


Give it a rest, you have been hyperactive on this matter since the documentary aired. Disgrace only comes when a man who is alive is unable to defend himself or clear his name of wrong doing.

Where were you when Bisola exposed him some 15 years ago, kindergarten?

RightChanneI:


It is TB Joshua matter that will destroy your miserable life just write it down

Is this the kind of spell your witchcraft doctors who call themselves pastor teach you? They must have forgotten the part of the Bible that says such curses you cast on sons of God do not prosper, in fact they return back to senders with dividends. You better repent and believe the true gospel if you don’t want to perish.

OLAADEGBU:


You must have invested so much in this charlatan for you to be so pained. I just hope you can defend the gospel truth the way you are defending Fatai Balogun?

You are too immature in christiandom. You never grow beyond denominational Christianity. Your cartoon life is negatively affecting you. You can no longer intercede and pray for men of God; your own duty Satan assigned to you ignorantly is to see where to mock men of God as if you are better than them even spiritually. All the men of God your body language tried to mock, has members deserted their churches? What do you benefit at the end of the day than self-inflicted shame? If you can not continue to pray for the men of God, just face your cartoon life and mind your business. If you think you stand, take heed. May God forgive you and bring you into Christian maturity beyond denomination christianity

sreamsense:

You are too immature in christiandom. You never grow beyond denominational Christianity. Your cartoon life is negatively affecting you. You can no longer intercede and pray for men of God; your own duty Satan assigned to you ignorantly is to see where to mock men of God as if you are better than them even spiritually. All the men of God your body language tried to mock, has members deserted their churches? What do you benefit at the end of the day than self-inflicted shame? If you can not continue to pray for the men of God, just face your cartoon life and mind your business. If you think you stand, take heed. May God forgive you and bring you into Christian maturity beyond denomination christianity

If you consider tb joshua as a man of God then you are plain blind and unfortunate. Even church elders have rejected him when he was alive, do you know better than them? So many churches left, right, centre but yet the society keeps getting worse morally. Charlatans be scaming africans since 1608bc.

I thought that the op was matured spiritually before. I will stop reading all his Christian posts from today.

Judgement belongs to God . No mature Christian judge another wether they are fake or genuine

Until Nigerians stop looking for miracles everywhere and start using their brains, the so called men of God will continue to exploit the gullible.
Go and do underground findings on these popular preachers and you'd be shocked, most enslave church members, rape women and young girls, torture their victims in the most cruel manner etc. They engage in all sort of terrible activities because they know they'll always buy or talk their way out.

sreamsense:

You are too immature in christiandom. You never grow beyond denominational Christianity. Your cartoon life is negatively affecting you. You can no longer intercede and pray for men of God; your own duty Satan assigned to you ignorantly is to see where to mock men of God as if you are better than them even spiritually. All the men of God your body language tried to mock, has members deserted their churches? What do you benefit at the end of the day than self-inflicted shame? If you can not continue to pray for the men of God, just face your cartoon life and mind your business. If you think you stand, take heed. May God forgive you and bring you into Christian maturity beyond denomination christianity

why are you defending that white bia bia mad man in that white mansion in the sky? Is he from your lineage? Why have you lost direction of your true spiritual path?

flokii:
Until Nigerians stop looking for miracles everywhere and start using their brains, the so called men of God will continue to exploit the gullible.
Go and do underground findings on these popular preachers and you'd be shocked, most enslave church members, rape women and young girls, torture their victims in the most cruel manner etc. They engage in all sort of terrible activities because they know they'll always buy or talk their way out.

They don't know lol 😂 their pastors and imams are number one customers of native doctors. Yet these bastards have the effontery to condemn traditional people.

OLAADEGBU:


Is this the kind of spell your witchcraft doctors who call themselves pastor teach you? They must have forgotten the part of the Bible that says such curses you cast on sons of God do not prosper, in fact they return back to senders with dividends. You better repent and believe the true gospel if you don’t want to perish.

As the kind of spell your witchcraft doctors who call themselves pastort taught you.

They must have forgotten to teach you Luke 6:37 so therefore, it is TB Joshua matter that will destroy your miserable life


https://dailypost.ng/2020/12/28/pastor-kumuyi-under-attack-over-alleged-sexual-abuse-of-12-year-old-in-deeper-life-school/

OLAADEGBU:


You must have invested so much in this charlatan for you to be so pained. I just hope you can defend the gospel truth the way you are defending Fatai Balogun?

You must have invested so much in judging and condemning late TB Joshua. I just hope you can defend kumuyi caught over alleged sexual abuse of a 12 year old in your deeper life school


https://dailypost.ng/2020/12/28/pastor-kumuyi-under-attack-over-alleged-sexual-abuse-of-12-year-old-in-deeper-life-school/

Na BBC do documentary na only them dey shout "Disgraced"
Ptince Andrew was linked to a paedophile ring and they even had to murder Jeffery Epstein to cover up, how many documentaries have they done about it?

Julian Assange has been languishing in British jail for several years for doing journalism and exposing US and British war crimes in Iraq.
I am not a follower of TB Joshua but I refuse to join BBC in junk journalism and castigating a dead man who brought succour to million of people around the world

OLAADEGBU:


You must have invested so much in this charlatan for you to be so pained. I just hope you can defend the gospel truth the way you are defending Fatai Balogun?

Why is it that your post is always against some men of God? The only men of God that you always talk good of is kumuyi. Pls repent. No Muslim can write such against any imam.

flokii:
Until Nigerians stop looking for miracles everywhere and start using their brains, the so called men of God will continue to exploit the gullible.
Go and do underground findings on these popular preachers and you'd be shocked, most enslave church members, rape women and young girls, torture their victims in the most cruel manner etc. They engage in all sort of terrible activities because they know they'll always buy or talk their way out.

Why won't Nigerians look for miracle where as the leaders have made life miserable to the masses.

OLAADEGBU:


Where were you when Bisola exposed him some 15 years ago, kindergarten?

Like I said earlier, rest. No need to continue pushing a story people have moved on from. Flogging a dead horse yields no profit or benefit to you.

sreamsense:


You are too immature in christiandom. You never grow beyond denominational Christianity. Your cartoon life is negatively affecting you. You can no longer intercede and pray for men of God; your own duty Satan assigned to you ignorantly is to see where to mock men of God as if you are better than them even spiritually. All the men of God your body language tried to mock, has members deserted their churches? What do you benefit at the end of the day than self-inflicted shame? If you can not continue to pray for the men of God, just face your cartoon life and mind your business. If you think you stand, take heed. May God forgive you and bring you into Christian maturity beyond denomination christianity

Why wouldn't you repent and believe the true gospel instead of this your "reading of body language" online, mature Christian?

RightChanneI:


You must have invested so much in judging and condemning late TB Joshua. I just hope you can defend kumuyi caught over alleged sexual abuse of a 12 year old in your deeper life school


https://dailypost.ng/2020/12/28/pastor-kumuyi-under-attack-over-alleged-sexual-abuse-of-12-year-old-in-deeper-life-school/

Sensational reaction. Pastor Kumuyi did not abuse anyone but abuse is alleged to have taken place at a Deeper life school...whereas TB Joshua is alleged to have done the abuse himself

IgOga:


Sensational reaction. Pastor Kumuyi did not abuse anyone but abuse is alleged to have taken place at a Deeper life school...whereas TB Joshua is alleged to have done the abuse himself

Who is the founder of the school if not kumuyi?/Did you caught TB Joshua red handed abusing any of his accusers? This is your Pastor Kumuyi negatively affecting people's lives

https://www.starnews.com.ng/how-pastor-kumuyi-ruined-my-childhood-mercy-benjamin/

Mvnster:

If you consider tb joshua as a man of God then you are plain blind and unfortunate. Even church elders have rejected him when he was alive, do you know better than them? So many churches left, right, centre but yet the society keeps getting worse morally. Charlatans be scaming africans since 1608bc.

even Jesus was not accepted by his own people talk less of TB Joshua....the validation of men is not what you need in this life...please give us a break and give attention to more important things affecting you as a Nigerian.

MrALIVE:
even Jesus was not accepted by his own people talk less of TB Joshua....the validation of men is not what you need in this life...please give us a break and give attention to more important things affecting you as a Nigerian.

So we should receive every tom, dick and satan because the jews rejected jesus? Are the allegations against the man baseless with no iota of truth? How many people do you personally know that were healed of one serious ailment by your fake prophet tb joshua?

HeatSeeker:
Give it a rest, you have been hyperactive on this matter since the documentary aired. Disgrace only comes when a man who is alive is unable to defend himself or clear his name of wrong doing.

TB Joshua failed to defend himself against those allegations while he was alive


This was from 2012
Instead of defending himself he ran away

OLAADEGBU:


Why wouldn't you repent and believe the true gospel instead of this your "reading of body language" online, mature Christian?

Your art of criticism and style of writing only to mock men of God other than pastor Kumuyi has revealed your Christian immaturity. Pastor Kumuyi you are stylishely comparing with other men of God never sent you to display your ignorance online. Pastor Kumuyi face the Work of God assigned to him passionately while you are being deceitfully used by devil to mock other men of God that pastor Kumuyi never sent you to do. Is it mocking other men of God that you refer to true Gospel? Devil is deceiving you! You can no longer be on your kneels to pray for all men of God as you ought to as Christian and reserve judgement only for God to judge and reward those he called.

True gospel is not when you are mocking men of God online instead of continuing praying for them. Devil is the one that craftily gives you this assignment and not God. You don't need to add to the injury of most men of God, your own is to pray for them and constantly ensure you remove logs from your own eye first. Be wise in the Lord. May God forgive you and bring you into the light of truth

Mvnster:


If you consider tb joshua as a man of God then you are plain blind and unfortunate. Even church elders have rejected him when he was alive, do you know better than them? So many churches left, right, centre but yet the society keeps getting worse morally. Charlatans be scaming africans since 1608bc.

You nailed it. They are just plain blind and unfortunate victims who have been brainwashed into believing a lie. These are the last days that the Bible foretold.

Kenneth4u205:


I thought that the op was matured spiritually before. I will stop reading all his Christian posts from today.

Judgement belongs to God . No mature Christian judge another wether they are fake or genuine

The OP was the BBC, have you considered taking your complaints to them?

Mvnster:

So we should receive every tom, dick and satan because the jews rejected jesus? Are the allegations against the man baseless with no iota of truth? How many people do you personally know that were healed of one serious ailment by your fake prophet tb joshua?

can you mention one person you personally know that TB Joshua abused?

Hypocrites.

HeatSeeker:
Give it a rest, you have been hyperactive on this matter since the documentary aired. Disgrace only comes when a man who is alive is unable to defend himself or clear his name of wrong doing.

T.B. Joshua that used to go from pussy to pulpit

You're just a Gullible Sheeple

MrALIVE:
can you mention one person you personally know that TB Joshua abused?

Hypocrites.

If I mention one random name now what would you do with that? The BBC have put out several names have you done anything logical since then? There are others who made several allegations when the man was alive did it stop you from being blind? Even obvious juju men claiming to be prophets have numerous followers, africans always love quick solution to their problems no matter how it comes, you are not alone.
I know two people personally who died shortly after testifying your fake daddy has healed them.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t2vwfmh5YoE?si=G1MqirDRosP5ioyB

Mvnster:


If you consider tb joshua as a man of God then you are plain blind and unfortunate. Even church elders have rejected him when he was alive, do you know better than them? So many churches left, right, centre but yet the society keeps getting worse morally. Charlatans be scaming africans since 1608bc.

Succinctly said.