After the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) released a documentary on the late clergyman, Prophet TB Joshua of the Synagogue Church of All Nations (SCOAN), internet users have engaged in a debate over the controversy.
Some individuals asserted the documentary’s credibility, while others staunchly defended the late prophet.
The three-part documentary accused the deceased cleric of rape and torture of some church members.
Defending the late cleric, Ronke Oshodi Oke took to her Instagram to sing the praise to the late TB Joshua, adding that she can vouch for him for healing her daughter of an asthma attack.
She wrote: “I want to tell the world what the Late Senior Prophet TB Joshua did for me and my daughter. Initially, I don’t believe in prophecy, I am not that kind of person because there are so many scammers out there. But when I went to church that faithful day, my daughter had Asthma, to God be the glory he delivered her. Something came out of her mouth which I didn’t believe, and my junior sister experienced something similar. That was when I started going to TB Joshua’s church. Apart from that, he is a nice man to me and my family. I just want people to know that for me, he is a nice man and a man of God.”
In 2013, a viral video was circulated on social media where a popular actor, Jim Iyke was spotted in the church, SCOAN.
Iyke was seen allegedly speaking in an evil manner, where the supposed evil spirit also spilled to have been tormenting the actor’s life, and threatened to destroy TB Joshua.
Having heard this, the actor was purportedly being ‘delivered’ from such spirit.
However, in a subsequent interview, Iyke stated that he had been advised to take his ailing mum to the church for healing, adding that he was desperate.
He said: “I will never be desperate again. Desperation took me there, believing the man of God would heal her (his mother).”
Another veteran actor, Hanks Anuku, stated that he was taken to the church, where he was allegedly healed of a mental illness
Speaking in an interview, he said: “Yes, I got my healing through TB Joshua. It is our Lord’s doing. I was having issues with my mentality for over seven years. You will notice I have not been that frequent in movies for long. I spent so much money visiting hospitals, and orthodox and unorthodox doctors without positive results until I was introduced to T.B Joshua. I was only watching his TV programme in Ghana and was healed.”
However, at different times in 2023, pictures and videos of Anuku appearing unkempt surfaced on social media, with some of his colleagues and fans expressing concern that he was mentally unstable.
A rapper and former Most Beautiful Girl in Nigeria, Munachi Abii, also visited the church at some point and allegedly met with Joshua, though her reason for going there was not disclosed.
Some years ago, a singer, Victor AD, had also claimed that Joshua healed him of skin disease when he was just six years old
Reiterating the impact Joshua had on his family, AD took to social media during the week to state that the late prophet cured his sister of blindness, and healed his mum of a gunshot injury on her hand. He added that the prophet was kind to his family.
A former Big Brother Naija contestant, Kesiena Adjekpovu, simply known as Kess, also pledged his unwavering support for the late Joshua in the wake of the documentary’s release.
He wrote on X, “T.B. Joshua is still my pastor. BBC should try again.”
Yet, another former BBN housemate, Chukwuemeka Okoye, aka Frodd, stated that the late Joshua gave him a scholarship when he was in the university, and also gave him an allowance of N8000 every day in 2010.
A veteran actress, Fausat Balogun, aka Madam Saje, also pledged her support for the late prophet.
Reposting a video of one of the late cleric’s sermons, she opined that his impact and the fight he led for the betterment of lives could not be overshadowed by any claims or institutions, including the BBC.
Matilda Showbiz reports that at different times, many other Nigerian top celebrities and VIPs had gone to the Synagogue Church of All Nations to meet the late prophet for one miracle or the other including former Minister Alex Akinyele, veteran actor Enebeli Elebuwa (Andrew, of the “Andrew don’t check out” fame), as well as prominent Lagos politician Adeniran Adesanya, all of them late.
