Since a documentary by the British Broadcasting Corporation’s ‘Africa Eye’ about the late preacher, Prophet TB Joshua, of the Synagogue Church of All Nations, was released earlier in the week, the media has been agog with people holding different views about the controversies that surrounded the late cleric.
The three-part documentary alleged that the late cleric was guilty of raping and torturing some of his church members. It also claimed that the prophet staged some of his miracles.
As the controversy continues to rage, Saturday Beats recalls that some entertainers had been to the church for one reason or the other over the years.
In 2013, a popular actor, Jim Iyke visited the SCOAN. In a video that went viral at the time, Iyke was purportedly being ‘delivered’ from an evil spirit. The spirit, allegedly speaking through him, claimed to have been tormenting the actor’s life, and threatened to destroy Joshua.
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 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 mentality (sic) for over seven years. You will notice I have not been that frequent in movies for long.
I spent so much money visiting hospitals, 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 TB 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, “TB 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.