Rédaction Africa Links 24 with Daily Nation
Published on 2024-02-10 07:00:00
Perpetrators of abuse frequently use isolation as a powerful tool to control and manipulate their victims. In her book, When Pastors Prey: Overcoming Clergy Sexual Abuse of Women, Valli Boobal Batchelor, emphasizes the dominance of isolation as a strategy in various forms of abuse. This tactic was employed to devastating effect by Pastor Temitope Balogun (TB) Joshua, a televangelist, creator of Emmanuel TV, and founder of the Synagogue Church of All Nations (Scoan).
For 30 years, TB Joshua mesmerized thousands of followers, exploiting their desperation with televised ‘miracles’ and claims of curing terminal illnesses. He strategically located Scoan near the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos, Nigeria, to capitalize on the influx of foreign visitors. He also had a significant presence on social media platforms, amassing over a million subscribers on his YouTube channel and being listed as Nigeria’s third wealthiest evangelist by Forbes magazine in 2011.
Behind his charismatic facade, TB Joshua operated a cult based on manipulation, coercive control, and sexual violence. One of his enablers, Bisola Johnson, was tasked with secretly scouting for underage virgins for Joshua, directing them to his top-floor master bedroom through multiple hidden staircase entrances. He also targeted young unmarried foreign female visitors, integrating them as administrators and preachers of Scoan and Emmanuel TV. Bisola would identify vulnerable travelers and direct them to TB Joshua’s office, where he would falsely inform them that God instructed them not to return to their nations. They were then summoned to Joshua’s suite, where he repeatedly raped them.
TB Joshua was well-versed in the psychological effects of coercive control, depriving his victims of basic needs and manipulating their time and activities. The gates of Scoan had armed security to prevent personnel from leaving without Joshua’s permission, and any request for eating, sleeping, or showering required his approval. His victims were subjected to sleep deprivation and physical assault for any perceived disobedience, with his sexual violence against underage girls escalating to unsafe and non-consensual abortions.
In 2014, a building collapse at Scoan resulted in 116 deaths, with TB Joshua found liable by a Lagos-based High Court judge. Despite his wealth and influence, he evaded repercussions, ignoring court summonses. When Bisola began speaking out about the abuse within the synagogue, TB Joshua ordered her assassination, forcing her to flee to Benin and later to Ghana.
TB Joshua’s death in 2021 under mysterious circumstances marked the end of a reign of manipulation and abuse that had devastated countless individuals. His story serves as a sobering reminder of the vulnerability of those who are exploited by charismatic figures and the critical importance of raising awareness and preventing such abuses from occurring in the future.
Read the original article on Daily Nation
