The BBC is about to release a three-part investigative documentary about the late Pastor TB Joshua, also known as TB Joshua. They interviewed around 30 former members and workers of the Synagogue Church of All Nations (SCOAN). The first part of the documentary will be out on January 8.
In the documentary, they uncover the hidden life of TB Joshua, revealing instances of abuse, harassment, rape, manipulation, and staged miracles. Sources say that the church was aware of the allegations but never investigated them. These alleged sexual crimes spanned over two decades.
The documentary also exposes how SCOAN kept its congregation in the dark about the 2014 collapse of one of its guesthouses. They repeatedly showed a video on Emmanuel TV that briefly showed the structure with what seemed like an aircraft flying over it.
SCOAN is located in the Ikotun-Egbe area of Lagos State and has grown from a local church to a multimillion-dollar establishment with worshippers from all over the world
It’s terrible that the church building had structural defects and that TB Joshua insisted on raising it despite professional advice. And the fact that victims’ families were compensated with cash, which some saw as “hush money,” is deeply troubling.
The BBC investigation also uncovered the dismemberment of individuals under the rubble and the use of SCOAN ambulances to transport deceased bodies, all to protect the church’s image. It’s truly heartbreaking.
And the accounts of survivors of TB Joshua’s sexual exploitation are absolutely horrifying. It’s appalling to hear that these women were manipulated, silenced, and subjected to abuse. No one should ever have to endure such trauma.
Former members described instances of humiliation inflicted by the controversial pastor on Marten and other white people at the compound. Marten later reached out to individuals, expressing confusion and trauma from her past experiences, seeking to understand what had happened to her.
In April 2021, YouTube suspended TB Joshua’s channel, Emmanuel TV, following controversial remarks about homosexuality being linked to demonic possession.
Marten’s ex-partner, Francis Agolo, reflected on her time in Nigeria, noting a stark change in her demeanour after her experience, describing her as caring and loving before but withdrawn and distressed thereafter. Marten previously shared her ordeal of living among 50 girls in a religious cult, emphasising the leader’s influence over their lives by dismissing their families and asserting himself as their sole father figure.
