BBC investigation reveals extensive abuse and torture perpetrated by the late TB Joshua, founder of one of the world’s largest Christian evangelical churches, the Synagogue Church of All Nations. Numerous former members, including five British individuals, accuse Joshua of heinous acts such as rape and forced abortions within a secretive Lagos compound over nearly two decades. The church has not addressed the allegations, asserting that previous claims were baseless. TB Joshua, a charismatic televangelist, passed away in 2021, leaving behind a significant global following.
Numerous eyewitness testimonies recount instances of physical violence and torture orchestrated by Joshua, including cases of child abuse, people being whipped, and chained individuals. Several women allege sexual assault by Joshua, with some stating they endured repeated rapes for years within the compound. Numerous claims of forced abortions following alleged rapes by Joshua, including one woman reporting five terminations. Multiple firsthand accounts reveal how Joshua staged fraudulent “miracle healings,” broadcasted to millions globally. A British victim, Rae, abandoned her university degree in 2002 to join the church at 21, spending the next 12 years as one of Joshua’s “disciples” within his intricate compound in Lagos.
“We believed we were in paradise, only to discover it was a nightmare, and in this nightmare, dreadful things unfold,” she conveyed to the BBC.
Rae recounts enduring sexual assault by Joshua and enduring a type of solitary confinement for two years. The abuse was so intense that she made multiple suicide attempts within the compound.
The Synagogue Church of All Nations (SCOAN) boasts a worldwide following, operating Emmanuel TV, a Christian channel, and social media platforms with millions of viewers. In the 1990s and early 2000s, tens of thousands of pilgrims from Europe, the Americas, Southeast Asia, and Africa flocked to the Nigerian church to witness Joshua’s purported “healing miracles.” Approximately 150 individuals lived as disciples within his Lagos compound, some for extended periods.
Over 25 former “disciples” shared their accounts with the BBC, spanning the UK, Nigeria, US, South Africa, Ghana, Namibia, and Germany, offering compelling testimonies about their experiences within the church, with the most recent incidents occurring in 2019. Many victims were teenagers when they initially joined, and in some instances involving British individuals, Joshua coordinated and funded their transportation to Lagos through collaboration with other UK churches.
Rae and several others likened their encounters to being part of a cult.
Jessica Kaimu, from Namibia, endured over five years of torment. She states that she was 17 when Joshua first assaulted her, and subsequent rapes led to five forced abortions during her time there.
Describing the procedures as “backdoor type… medical treatments,” she expressed the potential danger involved. Other interviewees revealed experiences of being stripped, beaten with electrical cables and horse whips, and systematically deprived of sleep.
Upon his death in June 2021, TB Joshua was lauded as one of the most influential pastors in African history. Rising from poverty, he constructed an evangelical empire, counting numerous political leaders, celebrities, and international footballers among his associates. Nonetheless, he faced controversy during his lifetime, notably when a guesthouse for church pilgrims collapsed in 2014, resulting in the deaths of at least 116 people.
Teaming up with the global media platform openDemocracy, the BBC conducted an investigation that represents the first instance where numerous former insiders of the church have openly shared their accounts. Despite attempting to voice their concerns for an extended period, they assert that they were effectively silenced.
Multiple witnesses in Nigeria describe facing physical attacks, with one individual stating they were shot at after publicly denouncing the abuse and posting allegations on YouTube. In March 2022, a BBC crew, trying to capture footage of the church’s Lagos compound from a public street, encountered gunfire from the church’s security and was held in detention for several hours.
The BBC conveyed the investigation’s allegations to Scoan, but received no response. Scoan, however, refuted past claims against TB Joshua, emphasizing that “Making unfounded allegations against Prophet TB Joshua is not a new occurrence… None of the allegations was ever substantiated.”
Four British citizens, who shared their experiences with the BBC, affirm that they reported the abuse to UK authorities upon leaving the church, but claim that no further action was taken.
In addition, a British man and his wife emailed eyewitness accounts of their ordeal and video evidence – including recordings of being held at gunpoint by men describing themselves as police who are also members of Scoan – to the British High Commission in Nigeria in March 2010 after fleeing the church. In his email, the man said his wife had been repeatedly sexually assaulted and raped by Joshua. He warned the commission that other British nationals were still inside the compound facing atrocities.
He also says no action was taken.
The UK Foreign Office did not respond to these claims, but told the BBC that it takes all reports of crime, including sexual assault and violence against British nationals overseas, very seriously.
Scoan continues to thrive today, under the leadership of Joshua’s widow, Evelyn. In July 2023, she led a tour of Spain.
Anneka, who left Derby in the UK to join Scoan at the age of 17, told the BBC she believes there are many other victims who have yet to speak out. She hopes further steps will be taken to uncover Joshua’s actions.
“I believe the Synagogue Church of All Nations needs a thorough investigation into why this man was able to function for so long the way he did,” she said.
