Mixed reactions have trailed a report detailing how the late founder of the Synagogue Church of All Nations (SCOAN), Temitope Balogun Joshua, reportedly raped, tortured, and subjected some church members to solitary confinement.
The investigative report by the British Broadcasting Corporation’s (BBC) Africa Eye, spanning over two years, detailed the accounts of victims. They claimed they were raped and also underwent forced abortions in a secretive Lagos compound for almost 20 years.
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The over-150-minute-long video, split into three parts and published on YouTube, is titled “Disciples: The Cult of TB Joshua.”. It also took into account the stories of former disciples and church workers.
The report delved deeper into the collapse of a guest house for pilgrims in 2014, killing at least 116 people.
Joshua was also accused of faking his “miracle healings”, which were broadcast to millions of people around the world.
SCOAN said past allegations against the late Joshua were unsubstantiated but did not address the current accusations.
In response, numerous netizens expressed shock, urging thorough investigation into the allegations.
On X, formerly Twitter where the story has been leading trends, especially in Nigeria and Ghana, a social media user @tahbryce commented “It’s a crazy world, there is much more than there is to the eye”.
“Church should just be banned. Let everyone serve and praise their own God. We have a rotten people pretending to serve God”, @benKEofficial added.
“What is shocking is how many governments in Africa allow such fraudsters to operate” @Tirus56131185
Other social media users appeared to have a different opinion about the issue raising questions about the expose. “The TB Joshua documentary was just a roller coaster ride for me. First I was like why will they wait for him to die before they drop it knowing he can’t defend himself? after the last episode, I’m just sitting here in tears. idk if it’s anger, disappointment, disbelief or pain” @gyaigyimii wrote on X.
The charismatic and incredibly popular preacher and televangelist TB Joshua passed away in 2021, leaving behind a sizable worldwide following. SCOAN wrote, “Making unfounded allegations against Prophet TB Joshua is not a new occurrence… None of the allegations was ever substantiated.” However, the church did not address the specific claims in the documentary.