NEWS
BBC Unravels Late TB Joshua’s Atrocities
The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) has announced plans to release a three-part investigative documentary uncovering alleged atrocities and sexual crimes linked to the late Pastor Temitope Balogun Joshua, also known as TB Joshua.
Scheduled for release on January 8, the documentary explores claims made by approximately 30 ex-members and employees of the Synagogue Church of All Nations (SCOAN).
Recall that TB Joshua passed away on June 5, 2021.
In the unveiled three-part documentary, the secretive life of the late founder of SCOAN was exposed, uncovering accounts of abuse, harassment, rape, manipulation, and orchestrated miracles.
According to sources interviewed by the BBC, despite being aware of these allegations, the church purportedly failed to conduct any investigations.
Allegations of sexual crimes are reported to have spanned more than twenty years.
A segment of the documentary uncovered SCOAN’s efforts to conceal the truth surrounding the collapse of one of its guesthouses in 2014 from its members.
The documentary highlighted a video repeatedly aired on Emmanuel TV, displaying a brief clip of the structure with an object resembling an aircraft flying overhead.
According to a source who lost her daughter in the collapsed building, “On television, they were showing us the building had been bombed,” reflecting the misinformation provided to the congregation.
Situated in the Ikotun-Egbe area of Lagos State, SCOAN evolved from a local evangelical church into a multimillion-dollar establishment drawing worshippers globally.
Disputing the aircraft story told to members, Emmanuel, a former aide to TB Joshua, asserted to the BBC that the church concealed a structural flaw.
Rae, a British church attendee and disciple, supported this claim, stating that the building’s foundation was inadequate for the constructed floors.
Additionally, she mentioned that despite expert advice, Joshua persisted in raising the building.
In the documentary, Emmanuel, another SCOAN worker, revealed that they were instructed not to disclose their knowledge about the building’s issues.
Despite awareness of the problem, SCOAN managed it internally. The church compensated victims’ families with cash, which some perceived as “hush money.”
According to a church worker involved in distributing the compensation in South Africa, TB Joshua instructed them to advise families against speaking to the media.
Allegedly, the worker stated that Joshua personally threatened those who declined the compensation.
Rae characterized the building collapse as a typical example of the cover-ups prevalent in TB Joshua’s regime, acknowledging the enormity of the incident, making it nearly impossible for him to suppress.
Rae said “The building collapse is a good example of everyday life under TB Joshua. It is just a series of cover-ups. It is just this was so big it was almost impossible for him to make it go away,”
The BBC found that people were dismembered under the rubble and dead bodies were transferred in SCOAN ambulances to shield the reality of the disaster from the press to protect both the image of the church and TB Joshua.
Survivors of TB Joshua’s sexual exploitation narrated how they were manipulated and silenced even when they knew the relationship they had with “daddy” was abusive.
These women were part of TB Joshua’s discipleship.
Multiple women narrated how he molested and raped them. A few women who resisted his assault at first were threatened into submission, one of the women told the BBC.
TB Joshua told the women he was sexually assaulting them for their salvation, all the women said.
These women joined the synagogue when they were teenagers and spent years before finally leaving.
A woman identified as Abisola said she was in the church for 14 years and was raped throughout her stay. When the women get pregnant as a result of being raped many times, they were forced to get an abortion in a dingy clinic inside the synagogue.
One of the women said “We went into his room and I stood there. He said ‘off your clothes’ so I removed my clothes he just pointed so I lay down and then he raped me. He broke my virginity. I was screaming and he was whispering in my ears that I should stop acting like a baby. I was 17 years old. I was underage.”
According to a source within the miracle department interviewed by the BBC, the documentary exposed the church’s practice of orchestrating and magnifying miracles televised to the public.
Individuals were allegedly instructed to exaggerate their ailments to facilitate healing and then embellish their healing experiences to demonstrate that it was “perfected by God.”
Rae asked “You’ve got this man who positioned himself as a father with many children and went on to rape, abuse, and molest all these people who call him daddy. How is somebody like that permitted to walk free.”
The United Nations has raised the alarm over a dramatic surge in attacks on schools worldwide, reporting a 166% increase between 2021 and 2024.
The rise highlights the escalating dangers faced by children in conflict zones.
United Nations Deputy High Commissioner for Human Rights, Nada Al-Nashif, revealed the figures during the annual meeting of the UN Human Rights Council on the rights of the child on Monday.
The session, themed “Mainstreaming the Rights of Children in Armed Conflict: Prevention and Protection,” focused on protecting children amid global conflicts.
Al-Nashif noted that the attacks were particularly concentrated in Sudan, Ukraine, the Gaza Strip, Myanmar, and Ethiopia, where children remain among the most vulnerable victims.
“In 2024, armed conflict directly affected nearly one in six children globally—about 470 million children,” she said. “Years of lost education, trauma, and lasting mental scars shape societies for generations. Long after the fighting subsides, children continue to face deadly risks.”
She highlighted Gaza as having the world’s highest number of child amputees per capita, warning that the impact of war goes far beyond immediate violence.
In Lebanon, government figures show that more than 450,000 people were displaced in less than a week, with at least 394 fatalities, including 83 children, during the 2024 conflict with Israel.
Al-Nashif also stressed the disproportionate risks for displaced children, who are more likely to die from disease linked to unsafe water and sanitation than from direct violence.
In the Democratic Republic of Congo, a 2025 cholera outbreak killed 340 children, underscoring the long-term consequences of conflict.
She called on states to uphold their international obligations to protect children, insisting that protecting children is “both a legal obligation and a humanitarian moral imperative.”
Also speaking at the council, Vanessa Frazier, Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict, warned that violence against children continued at extreme levels in 2025.
She urged mainstreaming child protection across peace, security, humanitarian, human rights, and development efforts, emphasizing that children should actively participate in shaping policies designed to safeguard them.
Frazier highlighted her office’s global campaign, “Prove It Matters,” aimed at amplifying children’s voices in conflict resolution and peacebuilding.
The UN report underscores the urgent need for coordinated international action to protect children and ensure their safety in conflict zones worldwide.
Portugal officially inaugurated its new president, Antonio Jose Seguro, on Monday, pledging to bring stability to a nation shaken by political uncertainty and natural disasters.
Seguro, the centre-left candidate, won last month’s presidential run-off against far-right rival Andre Ventura, following weeks of catastrophic storms that killed at least seven people and caused approximately €4 billion ($4.6 billion) in damage.
Speaking at his swearing-in ceremony in Lisbon’s parliament, Seguro emphasized cooperation with the minority right-wing government and vowed to end the country’s “electoral frenzy.”
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“I will do everything I can to put an end to this electoral frenzy,” he said, pointing to the inability of previous governments to complete their terms.
Amid global crises, including conflicts in the Middle East and a more isolationist US approach under President Donald Trump, Seguro stressed the importance of multilateralism.
“The force of law has been replaced by the power of the strongest,” he remarked.
Seguro succeeds Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, a conservative who leaves office at 77 after serving two five-year terms.
While the Portuguese presidency is largely ceremonial, Seguro’s leadership signals a commitment to political stability and international engagement.
Nigerians are facing yet another economic blow as petrol prices surge again. The Dangote Petroleum Refinery has raised the gantry price of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) to N1,175 per litre, marking the third increase in just one week.
The latest adjustment, announced to marketers on Monday, follows a temporary suspension of petrol sales at the refinery on Sunday. Diesel, also known as Automotive Gas Oil, has also been revised upwards to N1,620 per litre.
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A senior refinery official, speaking on condition of anonymity, confirmed the hike, noting that it reflects “prevailing market fundamentals and the cost environment we are currently operating in.”
Industry checks show that depot pricing systems have already updated the new rates, signaling an inevitable rise at retail stations.
In some cities, petrol is now being sold at over N1,200 per litre, adding pressure on Nigerian motorists and businesses alike.
This repeated surge comes after earlier increases that pushed gantry prices from N774 to N995 per litre earlier this week.
Experts warn that the hikes are likely to drive up transportation, logistics, and production costs, potentially impacting the prices of goods and services nationwide.
While the Federal Government, through the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC), is working to secure crude supplies for the refinery via international traders, officials cautioned that this may not immediately reduce prices for consumers.
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