Temitope Balogun Joshua. Most folks just knew him as TB Joshua. If you lived in Lagos or followed Christian television anytime between the late 90s and 2021, you couldn't escape the name. He was everywhere. He was the man in the bright shirts who claimed to cast out demons and heal the blind. He was the guy who built an empire in the middle of a swamp in Ikotun-Egbe.
Honestly, trying to explain the phenomenon of TB Joshua from Nigeria to someone who hasn't seen it is like trying to describe a hurricane after it’s already passed through. It’s messy. It’s complicated. For some, he was a literal mouthpiece for God. For others, he was a master of grand-scale manipulation.
He died in June 2021, just days before his 58th birthday. You’d think the dust would have settled by now. But it hasn't. Between the massive BBC investigations and the ongoing devotion of his "Emmanuel TV" followers, the conversation is more polarized than ever. People are still asking: was he a saint or a charlatan?
The Rise of the Synagogue Church of All Nations (SCOAN)
TB Joshua didn't come from money. He liked to tell the story of being in his mother's womb for 15 months. Whether you believe that or not, his humble beginnings in Ondo State are a huge part of the "Man of God" persona he built. He moved to Lagos, and by 1987, the Synagogue Church of All Nations (SCOAN) was born.
It started small. Very small.
But it grew because TB Joshua understood something other preachers didn't quite grasp yet: the power of the camera. While other pastors were focused on the local congregation, Joshua was thinking global. He launched Emmanuel TV. Suddenly, a grandmother in Peru or a businessman in South Korea could watch "miracles" happening in a Lagos suburb.
This turned Ikotun-Egbe into a global hub. Seriously.
The Nigerian Immigration Service once reported that six out of every ten foreign travelers coming into Nigeria were headed to the Synagogue. That’s insane when you think about it. The local economy in that part of Lagos basically lived and breathed because of TB Joshua. Hotels, restaurants, taxi drivers—everyone had a stake in the "Prophet’s" success.
The Miracle Industry
What actually happened inside that massive auditorium?
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If you watch the old tapes, it’s a lot of "prophesying." He’d point into a crowd and tell someone their house number or what they ate for breakfast. For a believer, this was "word of knowledge." For a skeptic, it looked like a very well-oiled information-gathering machine.
Then there was the healing.
People claimed to be cured of HIV/AIDS, cancer, and even physical disabilities. The church used to show medical reports on screen, though the validity of those documents was constantly under fire by medical professionals. He also had the "Anointing Water" and "Anointing Stickers." People treated these items like holy relics. They were exported worldwide.
The 2014 Guest House Collapse and the Turning Point
Everything changed on September 12, 2014.
A six-story guest house belonging to the church collapsed. It was a disaster. 116 people died, many of them South Africans who had traveled thousands of miles for a touch from the Prophet.
This is where the story gets dark.
Instead of immediate transparency, the church blamed a "strange aircraft" flying over the building. They suggested it was an attack. However, a Lagos State coroner, Oyetade Komolafe, eventually ruled that the collapse was due to structural failure. The building was being expanded without the proper permits. It was a classic case of Lagos construction gone wrong, but with a massive body count and a high-profile target.
Joshua never really faced jail time for this. He basically ignored the court summons. His influence was so vast, and his connections to politicians so deep, that he seemed untouchable. This event marked a shift in how the international media viewed him. He went from being a "quirky African healer" to a figure under intense scrutiny.
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The BBC "Disciples" Investigation: A Grittier Reality
In early 2024, long after his death, the BBC released a documentary titled Disciples: The Cult of TB Joshua. If you haven't seen it, it’s heavy.
Ex-followers, many of whom lived inside the church compound for years as "disciples," came forward with allegations that are hard to stomach. We’re talking about:
- Systemic Abuse: Women alleging multiple counts of rape and forced abortions.
- Faked Miracles: Claims that "healings" were staged, with people being paid to act out disabilities.
- Physical Torture: Accounts of being beaten or "disciplined" for minor infractions.
- Manipulation: The use of sleep deprivation and isolation to keep followers in line.
The church, now led by his widow Evelyn Joshua, has vehemently denied all of this. They claim it’s a coordinated smear campaign. But the sheer number of voices—from the UK, the US, South Africa, and Nigeria—makes it difficult to simply brush off.
It’s a classic case of the "charismatic leader" trap. When someone is viewed as a god-on-earth, the people around them often lose their sense of agency. They start to believe that suffering at the hands of the leader is actually a form of spiritual purification.
Why People Still Defend TB Joshua from Nigeria
You might wonder why, after all the scandals, millions still adore him.
Go to YouTube. Look at the comments on the Emmanuel TV videos. They are filled with people saying "Thank you, Jesus" and "I miss my father." For these people, the BBC documentary is just "the work of the devil" trying to bring down a great man.
There’s also his philanthropy.
Joshua gave away millions. During disasters, he sent aid. He sponsored students. He fed the poor in Ikotun every single day. In a country like Nigeria, where the government often fails to provide basic social safety nets, a pastor who actually gives back is seen as a hero. To his followers, his charity outweighed his "human mistakes."
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He also didn't fit the "mansion and private jet" mold of other Nigerian mega-pastors. While he was definitely wealthy, he portrayed himself as a man of the people. He dressed simply. He spent time in the "prayer mountain" (which was basically a swampy area he’d developed). That relatability was his secret weapon.
The Complexity of Truth
The reality of TB Joshua from Nigeria isn't binary.
It’s possible that he was a man who truly wanted to help people and a man who was consumed by his own power. It’s possible that some people had genuine spiritual experiences at SCOAN and that others were horribly abused. Life is rarely a neat "hero or villain" story, especially when religion and massive amounts of money are involved.
The SCOAN today is a shadow of its former self, but it’s still standing. Evelyn Joshua took over after a brief, somewhat messy power struggle with the older disciples. The "Miracle Line" still forms. The prayers still go out.
How to Navigate the Legacy of SCOAN
If you’re looking into the ministry or considering visiting a similar high-intensity religious group, there are some practical things to keep in mind.
First, vet the information. Don't just rely on the church’s own PR or on a single documentary. Look at the court records from the 2014 collapse. Read the testimonies of the survivors.
Second, understand the psychology of "High-Control Groups." Sociologists like Steven Hassan have written extensively on how charismatic leaders use specific techniques to bypass critical thinking. If a group tells you to cut ties with your family or that the leader is the only person who can hear from God, that’s a massive red flag.
Third, separate faith from the man. Many Nigerians will tell you that their faith in God is independent of any pastor. This is a crucial distinction. You can be a person of deep faith without surrendering your autonomy to a "Man of God."
Actionable Insights for the Curious:
- Watch with a Critical Eye: If you watch Emmanuel TV, pay attention to the editing. Notice how the camera moves and how the "testimonies" are structured.
- Research the Legal History: Look into the Lagos State Ministry of Justice reports regarding the 2014 building collapse to see the technical reasons why the structure failed.
- Support Survivors: If you are interested in the human side of this, look into organizations that help people exit high-control religious environments. Their stories provide the context that the glossy church brochures leave out.
- Audit the Philanthropy: Check how much of the "giving" was tied to church membership or PR opportunities versus genuine, no-strings-attached community support.
TB Joshua remains a giant in the history of African Pentecostalism. Whether he was a prophet who lost his way or a clever man who built a kingdom on the hopes of the desperate, his impact on the religious landscape of Nigeria is permanent. You can't write the history of Lagos without mentioning the man from Ikotun. But you also can't tell his story truthfully without acknowledging the trail of broken lives he left in his wake.