The BBC has uncovered a disturbing revelation in a three-part investigative documentary regarding the late Nigerian Pastor, Temitope Balogun Joshua, commonly known as TB Joshua. The exposé discloses the alleged constant abuse and torture inflicted upon his daughter, Ajoke.
According to the documentary, TB Joshua’s disciples asserted that Ajoke, conceived outside lawful marriage, endured a series of torture and humiliation orchestrated by the late cleric. He purportedly viewed her existence as a significant threat to his reputation as a man of God.
Ajoke herself claimed to have never experienced fatherly affection from the late pastor, asserting that her father compelled her to be a disciple, intending to ruin her life. She expressed the difficulty of witnessing her father preach about love and mercy while feeling estranged from those concepts, given her traumatic experiences.
In her words, “That kind of pain cannot be put into words. I feel like, you know, maybe I really don’t deserve to be alive. We are talking about years and years of abuse, consistent abuse, abuse that wasn’t ending.”
Additionally, Ajoke highlighted the role of other disciples who, according to her, joined her father in compounding the humiliation. She described them as both brainwashed and enablers, acting like zombies without questioning or showing accountability.
Several disciples, interviewed by the BBC, revealed details about Ajoke’s background, stating that she was TB Joshua’s biological daughter from a woman outside of wedlock. They described her upbringing within the Synagogue as that of an outcast, with TB Joshua allegedly wanting to keep her existence a secret.
The documentary includes testimonials from more than 25 former church members, spanning three decades up to 2019, alleging abuse within the secretive Nigerian compound. Victims from the UK, Nigeria, US, South Africa, Ghana, Namibia, and Germany likened their experiences to being in a cult.
TB Joshua, who passed away in June 2021, was celebrated as one of the most influential pastors in African history. Despite the serious allegations, the current leadership of the Synagogue Church of All Nations dismissed them, stating that making unfounded allegations against Prophet TB Joshua was not a new occurrence and none of the allegations had ever been substantiated. The leadership did not respond to the specific details of the allegations presented in the documentary.