Nigerian pastor Tobi Adegboyega, the former head of SPAC Nation, has lost his appeal against deportation to Nigeria following allegations of financial misconduct. The UK High Court ruled that Adegboyega, 44, should be deported after investigations revealed significant irregularities in his church’s financial practices. SPAC Nation, a charity targeting young people in London, was shut down after failing to account for £1.87 million in expenditures.
Adegboyega, a cousin of Star Wars actor John Boyega, claimed that deporting him would breach his right to family life under the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR). His legal team argued that he had a significant positive impact on London’s black communities, describing him as a “charismatic” leader 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.”
Despite these arguments, the tribunal emphasized, “All is not as it seems. 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.”
Former members of SPAC Nation had accused it of operating as a cult, alleging that young people were pressured into extreme measures to donate money, including taking loans, committing fraud, and even selling their blood. The tribunal noted these allegations in its findings, stating, “It is alleged that the church leadership lead 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.”
Adegboyega, who has lived in the UK unlawfully since overstaying his visitor’s visa in 2005, applied for leave to remain in 2019 under the ECHR. His application was initially dismissed, but he appealed, asserting that no criminal charges had ever been filed regarding his church’s finances. He also described claims of SPAC Nation being a cult as “politically motivated.”
However, the Charity Commission concluded that there had been “serious misconduct and/or mismanagement in the administration of the charity which was sustained over a substantial period of time.” The tribunal also dismissed Adegboyega’s claims, describing his testimony as “hyperbolic in many instances” and stating that he had “sought to grossly inflate his influence.”
“We find it to be implausible that he has the time to undertake all of this work personally,” the tribunal said, concluding that deportation would not significantly impact the church’s operations or Adegboyega’s family life.
“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,” the tribunal said.
It further added, “[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.”
Adegboyega’s legal defeat underscores the UK’s commitment to scrutinizing charities and holding leaders accountable for financial misconduct.
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