UK Shuts Nigerian-owned Church over ‘£1.9M Fraud’

Femi Ashekun/

Salvation Proclaimer Ministries Limited, a London-based church group, popularly known as SPAC Nation, has been wound up by a UK court.

The church, led by Nigeria-born Tobi Adegboyega, was reportedly shut over alleged financial mismanagement and lack of transparency in its operations.

In a release published to the UK government website today, the church was closed “in the public interest” after “failing to properly account for more than £1.87 million of outgoings and operating with a lack of transparency”.

The verdict was delivered at a high court sitting on June 9 before Micheal Burton, the presiding judge.

The release further stated that The Official Receiver has been appointed as the liquidator of the company.

The court heard that SPAC Nation was incorporated in 2012 as a charity group set up to advance Christianity.

Much of its charitable work has been based in London, working with vulnerable people, youth, and offenders.

Initially, the church group received positive reviews and media attention.

But by late 2019, SPAC Nation was subject to media scrutiny following allegations by former church members that they had been financially exploited by senior church personnel.

The Insolvency Service in the UK received complaints about SPAC Nation and probed the church group’s activities.

Dapo Adegboyega, director of the company, told the UK authorities that the church group had over 2,000 members and 200 ordained ministers and pastors but failed to provide any supporting information.

The Nigerian pastor also failed to provide records to support claimed donations and £1.87 million of expenditure.

The probe showed the company’s finances for the two years to 31 December 2019 set out £610,000 of rent costs.

However, it did not have a base of its own but hired venues across London to hold services at “significant expense”.

The UK government said SPAC Nation was wound-up after the court concluded that the company “operated with a lack of transparency, filed suspicious or incorrect accounts, and was insolvent” at the time of the hearing.

It was also recognised that the company provided inconsistent information to the Insolvency Service and Charity Commission and failed to deliver adequate accounting records.

It is understood that the company remains subject to a statutory inquiry by the Charity Commission, which is examining financial, governance, and safeguarding matters at the charity.

On the case, Edna Okhiria, chief investigator for the Insolvency Service, said: “While SPAC Nation claimed it had noble intentions to support vulnerable and young people, our inquiries uncovered a different side of the charity.”

It is also understood that SPAC Nation rebranded as Nxtion Family in June 2020, a few weeks after Tobi Adegboyega announced he was stepping down as the head pastor.

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