T.B Joshua
Image sourced via Instagram
Nigerian Televangelist T.B Joshua dies at age 57
T.B Joshua was the founder of one of the biggest churches in Nigeria. He is said to have succumbed to an undisclosed illness
T.B Joshua
Image sourced via Instagram
Self-proclaimed prophet, T.B Joshua has passed away – just a week shy of his 58th birthday. The Nigerian televangelist, whose full name was Temitope Balogun, was the founder of The Synagogue, Church of All Nations (SCOAN), a massive church based in Lagos.
According to international media reports, Joshua succumbed to an undisclosed illness on Saturday, 5 June 2021.
“God has taken His servant Prophet TB Joshua home – as it should be by divine will. His last moments on earth were spent in the service of God. This is what he was born for, lived for and died for,” his church said in a short statement.
“The Synagogue, Church of All Nations and Emmanuel TV Family appreciate your love, prayers and concern at this time and request a time of privacy for the family.”
Joshua claimed to be able to perform all kinds of miracles, including being able to heal the sick and the blind.
T.B Joshua and his scandals
T.B Joshua was a rather controversial figure and gained infamy in 2014 when over 110 people were declared dead after a guesthouse collapsed in the SCOAN’s premises in Lagos. The guests were attending his church and at least 80 of them were South Africans.
There were subsequent calls for Joshua to be held accountable for the tragedy. In 2015, an investigation found that the collapse was a result of negligence. While some of the families accepted cash payments in compensation, others pursed legal action against him.
In April, Joshua was suspended from Youtube after he claimed he could cure gay people. The video-sharing platform closed the pastor’s channel with more than 1.8 million subscribers and 600 million views.
Responding to Youtube’s decision, Joshua asked his congregants to pay for the platform.
“I got to know what happened to YouTube when I saw the viewers complaining. I want you to help me pray for YouTube. Don’t see them the other way around; see them as friends. We need to be strong,” he was quoted by CNN to have said during a Facebook live church service.
