{"id":11428,"date":"2019-12-23T00:36:15","date_gmt":"2019-12-23T00:36:15","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/nigeriastandardnewspaper.com\/ng\/?p=6044"},"modified":"2019-12-23T00:36:15","modified_gmt":"2019-12-23T00:36:15","slug":"pastor-tobi-adegboyega-in-the-eyes-of-the-storm-nigerian-man-of-god-runs-a-church-cult-haven-in-london-where-former-convicted-criminals-drop-drugs-knives-on-the-altar-being-investigated-by-uk","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/nigeriastandardnewspaper.com\/a\/pastor-tobi-adegboyega-in-the-eyes-of-the-storm-nigerian-man-of-god-runs-a-church-cult-haven-in-london-where-former-convicted-criminals-drop-drugs-knives-on-the-altar-being-investigated-by-uk\/","title":{"rendered":"PASTOR TOBI ADEGBOYEGA IN THE EYES OF THE STORM: Nigerian ‘Man-of-God’ runs a Church-cult haven in London where former convicted criminals drop Drugs, Knives on the Altar…being investigated by UK Charity Commission for Fraud *Under close scrutiny by Scotland Yard, may face Money Laundering * 39-year-old embattled Nigerian pastor arrived Britain as an immigrant in 2005 * Lives in a home of \u00a3100,000 a week, drives a Lamborghini car *Compel members to get bank loans and return same fund to him for ‘blessings’ *Assisted by Mariam Mbula, a senior church leader with at least 13 convictions for 34 offences * UK Labour MP Steve Reed, the Shadow Children’s Minister promises urgent investigation BY IKENNA AUSTIN\/RELIGIOUS CORRESPONDENT, BRITAIN AND GEORGE ELIJAH OTUMU\/AMERICAN FOREIGN BUREAU CHIEF"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

PASTOR TOBI\nADEGBOYEGA IN THE EYES OF THE STORM:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Nigerian\n‘Man-of-God’ runs a Church-cult haven in London where former\nconvicted criminals drop Drugs, Knives on the Altar…being\ninvestigated by UK Charity Commission for Fraud<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

*Under close\nscrutiny by Scotland Yard, may face Money Laundering <\/strong>\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

* 39-year-old\nembattled Nigerian pastor arrived Britain as an immigrant in 2005<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

* Lives in a\nhome of \u00a3100,000\na week, drives a Lamborghini car <\/strong>\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

*Compel\nmembers to get bank loans and return same fund to him for ‘blessings’<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

*Assisted\nby Mariam\nMbula, a\nsenior\nchurch leader with at least 13 convictions for 34 offences<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

*\nUK Labour\nMP Steve Reed, the Shadow Children’s Minister promises urgent\ninvestigation<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

BY\nIKENNA AUSTIN\/RELIGIOUS CORRESPONDENT, BRITAIN AND GEORGE ELIJAH\nOTUMU\/AMERICAN FOREIGN BUREAU CHIEF<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

THE SEVERAL\nATTROCITIES ALLEGEDLY COMMITTED BY A 39-YEAR OLD SMOOTH <\/strong>\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

TALKING,\nORATORY PASTOR TOBI ADEBGOYEGA has come to the open, as deep\ninvestigation has commenced by Scotland Yard Police and United\nKingdom Charity Commission regarding alleged fraudulent behavior and\nmoney laundering allegation hanging on his head presently. His\nBritish church is seen by many like a cult where former convicted\nhardened criminals drop their drugs and knives on the altar every\nSunday. <\/strong>\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\nThe\ncommission, which describes the London church as a charity set up to\n‘advance Christianity’ that works particularly with young people, has\nordered it to bank all their money while the investigation takes\nplace.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The\nnews comes after HuffPost UK reported allegations that some members\nof the church had been taking teenagers to donate blood for medical\ntrials in a practice known as ‘bleeding for seed’. For\ninstance, last moth, it\nwas reported that SPAC Nation’s leaders had been accused of\nthreatening parishioners who fail to raise enough money and one\npastor had even urged her followers to ‘beg, borrow or steal’ in\norder to gather money for the church.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\nThe\nMail On Sunday revealed that one senior leader, Mariam Mola, 30,\nwhose real name is Mariam Mbula, 30, had been jailed in the UK,\nBelgium and Spain, and was also wanted for leading a crime gang in\nItaly.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The\nsenior leader, who had previously appeared on shows including ‘This\nMorning’ and been praised for turning her life around after she was\njailed for fraud at the age of 18, had at least 13 convictions for 34\noffences; 27 for fraud and dishonesty. It was also reported that\nMbula had once preyed on a woman with a Down’s syndrome daughter in\norder to gain \u00a315,000 from her funds.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\nLabour\nMP Steve Reed, the Shadow Children’s Minister, previously told The\nMail on Sunday: ‘The allegations I have received about Spac Nation\nfrom vulnerable young people are truly disturbing. Victims are saying\nit is run like a cult. I want there to be a full investigation.’<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Scotland\nYard said it was reviewing the complaints against the church, which\nis run by Nigerian pastor Tobi Adegboyega, 39, who came to Britain in\n2005. The\nchurch, which denies the claims, has previously been praised by\npoliticians for its work in tackling gang violence and protecting\nyoung people at risk of knife crime. The commission said a case had\nbeen opened on SPAC Nation in April last year, and in November this\nyear information received from the trustees ‘raised further concerns\nabout the charity’s financial controls, policy and procedures’. <\/strong>\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In\na statement, it added: ‘Of immediate concern to the commission is\nthat substantial amounts of charity money are held in cash. ‘As a\nprotective measure, the commission has issued an order under Section\n84 of the Charities Act, requiring the charity to bank its money.\n‘The commission is also concerned about the apparent lack of clarity\nbetween the personal, business and charity roles of leaders within\nthe charity.’ The commission said it opened the inquiry to ‘examine\nmatters furthers’ after allegations emerged that individuals had been\nencouraged to give money to the charity by ‘taking on personal debt’.\nA Charity Commission spokesman said: ‘The issues that have been\nraised related to SPAC Nation in recent weeks are highly concerning,\neven more so as the allegations are entirely at odds with the\nexpectations about the way that charities will operate. ‘The opening\nof this inquiry is an important step that will allow us to examine\nthese concerns further and establish the facts. ‘We will seek to\nprovide assurance to the public and the community that these matters\nwill be considered fully and, where necessary, resolved.’<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\nA\nreport with the commission’s findings is expected to be published\nonce the investigation is concluded.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\nIn\na statement from its board of trustees, SPAC Nation said the inquiry\nwas ‘needful to lay to rest some unverified allegations,’ adding:\n‘Inquiry is what we have always asked for. If anything is found wrong\nwe will adjust it, and if not we will keep going strong. If any\npastor or leader is caught pressuring people to donate, such leader\nwill be expelled without delay, not to talk of pressuring to donate\nblood for money. We encourage people to donate blood and all they can\nfor the community but we also say not for money ever, that just won’t\nhappen here.’<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The\nchurch where drugs and knives are left at the altar…<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

This\nis a church in south London alleged to be saving people from a life\nof crime by using former gang members to show others a different way\nof life. How does it work? It is not a scene you would\nexpect to find in a church.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Adegboyega asks members of\nthe congregation to make their way to the front with any weapons they\nmay have in their pockets. It is a system based on trust but such\namnesties have proved successful.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n“We’ve\nhad times where people are coming to the altar and dropping their\nknives and drugs,” explains fellow minister Connor Callaghan.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n“Last\nweek I was praying for a 23-year-old who was recently released from\nprison and he was crying.”<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Its\npreaching is tailored to a different kind of congregation – former\narmed robbers, drug dealers, gang members and one man who spent time\nin prison for attempted murder.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\nBy its\nown figures, 55% of those that attend have previously been involved\nin a life of crime<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Connor\nhimself has served time in prison.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n“I\nwent to jail for some robberies, possession of a bladed article. I\nwas charged with money laundering of \u00a330,000.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n“But\nI feel like if I had come here before, I would have been shown the\nright mentorship and guidance\u201d, Connor\nsays he has turned his back on his former way of life, something the\nchurch hopes to replicate with others.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\nThis\nLead pastor says his success in helping to reform ex-criminals lies\nin his ability to connect with them and offer them a level of support\nthe official routes cannot.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\nHe\ncurrently has 14 ex-criminals living in his house, and has been known\nto pick people up from the prison gates to ensure they do not fall\nback into trouble.<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

PASTOR TOBI ADEGBOYEGA IN THE EYES OF THE STORM: Nigerian ‘Man-of-God’ runs a Church-cult haven in London where former convicted criminals drop Drugs, Knives on the Altar…being investigated by UK Charity Commission for Fraud *Under close scrutiny by Scotland Yard, may face Money Laundering * 39-year-old embattled Nigerian pastor arrived Britain as an immigrant in […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":6045,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[100],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-11428","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-international"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/nigeriastandardnewspaper.com\/a\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11428","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/nigeriastandardnewspaper.com\/a\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/nigeriastandardnewspaper.com\/a\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nigeriastandardnewspaper.com\/a\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nigeriastandardnewspaper.com\/a\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=11428"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/nigeriastandardnewspaper.com\/a\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11428\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nigeriastandardnewspaper.com\/a\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/6045"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/nigeriastandardnewspaper.com\/a\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=11428"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nigeriastandardnewspaper.com\/a\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=11428"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nigeriastandardnewspaper.com\/a\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=11428"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}