The BBC, in collaboration with international media platform openDemocracy, has uncovered startling allegations of abuse and torture against the late TB Joshua, founder of one of the world’s largest Christian evangelical churches, the Synagogue Church of All Nations (SCOAN). This revelation follows a detailed two-year investigation, revealing a pattern of alleged atrocities spanning almost two decades.
Dozens of former members of the church, including five British nationals, have come forward with harrowing testimonies of rape, forced abortions, and physical torture within the church’s secretive Lagos compound. These allegations suggest a dark underbelly to the church’s operations, starkly contrasting its public image.
TB Joshua, who passed away in 2021, was a renowned preacher and televangelist with a massive global following. He was celebrated for his “miracle healings” and drew pilgrims worldwide to his church in Nigeria. However, the BBC’s investigation paints a dramatically different picture of the charismatic leader.
Key findings of the investigation include:
– Eyewitness accounts of physical violence and torture, including child abuse, carried out by Joshua. Victims report being whipped, chained, and subjected to other forms of brutality.
– Numerous women allege they were sexually assaulted by Joshua, with some claiming they were repeatedly raped over several years inside the compound.
– Several instances of forced abortions within the church following rapes by Joshua, including a woman who reported undergoing five terminations.
– First-hand accounts suggesting Joshua’s “miracle healings” were fabricated and broadcast to millions worldwide.
One of the victims, Rae, a British woman, shared her ordeal of spending 12 years in Joshua’s compound, starting when she was 21. She described the environment as hellish, where she was sexually assaulted by Joshua and subjected to solitary confinement. Her experience was so traumatic that it drove her to multiple suicide attempts.
SCOAN, which operates a Christian TV channel and has a significant social media presence, has not responded to these allegations but has denied previous claims against Joshua. The church continues to have a substantial following, despite these disturbing revelations.
More than 25 former “disciples” from various countries, including the UK, Nigeria, the US, South Africa, Ghana, Namibia, and Germany, corroborated these testimonies. Many of them were teenagers when they joined the church, with some transported to Lagos through arrangements made by Joshua in coordination with UK churches.
The survivors’ accounts paint a picture akin to a cult, where abuse was rampant, and victims were stripped of their autonomy. Jessica Kaimu from Namibia recounted over five years of abuse, including multiple forced abortions following rapes by Joshua.
In addition to sexual abuse, other forms of physical and psychological torture were reported. Victims describe being stripped, beaten with electrical cables and horse whips, and routinely denied sleep.
TB Joshua, despite his controversial life, was lauded as one of Africa’s most influential pastors upon his death. However, his legacy is now marred by these allegations.
The investigation’s findings are a testament to the years-long efforts by victims to bring these allegations to light, despite facing threats and physical attacks for speaking out. A BBC crew was even fired at and detained while attempting to record footage of SCOAN’s Lagos compound in 2022.
Despite reporting the abuse to UK authorities, the victims claim that no further action was taken. The UK Foreign Office, while not responding directly to these claims, emphasized its serious approach to reports of crimes against British nationals overseas.
SCOAN continues to operate under the leadership of Joshua’s widow, Evelyn. However, the allegations cast a long shadow over the church’s future. Survivors like Anneka, who joined SCOAN from the UK at 17, hope that more victims will come forward and that a thorough investigation into SCOAN and Joshua’s actions will be conducted.
This investigation sheds light on the darker aspects of religious institutions and the need for accountability, especially when allegations of such serious nature arise. The testimonies of the survivors call for a reevaluation of TB Joshua’s legacy and demand justice for the alleged atrocities committed within the walls of the Synagogue Church of All Nations.
