1st February, 2024
By Taiwo Okanlawon
American online video sharing platform, YouTube has taken down popular Christian channel Emmanuel TV, the channel managed by TB Joshua’s Synagogue Church of All Nations (SCOAN), for allegedly violating its hate speech policies.
This development comes amid the three-part documentary by the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) detailing the alleged atrocities and sexual crimes committed by late TB. Joshua on his disciples.
Joshua died on June 5, 2021. As part of the investigation, the BBC interviewed at least 30 former members and workers of the Synagogue Church of All Nations (SCOAN). The first installment of the documentary is scheduled to be released on January 8.
The 3-part documentary revealed the clandestine lifestyle of the now-deceased founder of SCOAN. It detailed stories of abuse, harassment, rape, manipulation, and staged miracles. Sources told the BBC that the church knew about all the allegations but never investigated them. They alleged the sexual crime spanned over two decades.
A part of the documentary revealed how SCOAN shielded its congregation from the truth about the collapse of one of the church’s guesthouses in 2014. A video that was shown multiple times to members on Emmanuel TV showed a short clip of the structure with something that seemed like an aircraft flying over it.
The report has since stirred up heated controversies across social media with users expressing mixed opinions.
As part of the investigation with BBC, openDemocracy identified “more than 50 videos amplifying abuse against Joshua’s accusers” on YouTube.
Survivors said the clips were kept to threaten and damage the reputation of ex-followers of the ministry if they ever decide to make their experiences public.
“The idea was to have so much humiliation filmed on tape that you are both aware of it,” said Ajoke, a former member of the church, in an interview with openDemocracy.
“You fear it so much and are constantly shamed by it. So much so that it’s like your voice has been shut down by it.”
The matter was reported to YouTube and the account was suspended on January 29.
The content reported includes “Emmanuel TV footage of people with mental health issues being kept in chains, cases of medical misinformation, and examples of smear campaigns against women who spoke out about TB Joshua’s sexual abuse”.
“The flagged channel was terminated for violating our hate speech policies,” YouTube said.
Emmanuel TV can no longer be accessible on YouTube
Emmanuel TV, founded by the late televangelist TB Joshua in Nigeria in 2006, gained popularity and expanded its reach through its YouTube channel, which became one of the most subscribed Christian ministry YouTube channels globally.
This is the second time in three years that its YouTube channel has been suspended, following previous breaches of the platform’s user guidelines.
In April 2021, YouTube shut down the channel due to “gay curing” claims, as it violated policies against alleging mental illness, disease, or inferiority based on membership in a protected group, including sexual orientation.
The video titled ‘THE SPIRIT OF MAN IS TORMENTING YOU!!!’ | TB Joshua Personal Prophecy” was about Chetanna Nwabuwa a Nigerian living in Ghana who the church claimed was allegedly possessed by a strange spirit.
The channel, which had over 1.8 million subscribers and 600 million views before the suspension, was reportedly the most-watched Nigerian Christian ministry on YouTube.
Consequently, Emmanuel TV had to start over on YouTube, and Facebook also removed some of its posts for the same reasons.
Following TB Joshua’s passing in June 2021, Emmanuel TV has relied heavily on rebroadcasting old content and repeats of the late televangelist’s programs, producing less new content than the prolific scale during Joshua’s lifetime.
On January 17, P.M. News reported that MultiChoice dropped Emmanuel TV’s satellite channel on DStv and GOtv.
It was gathered that the new management at the Synagogue Church of All Nations, led by the wife of the late founder, Pastor Evelyn Joshua, is facing numerous challenges following the inability of the new management to step into the shoes of the late T.B. Joshua fully.