Dele Olawanle, lawyer to Pastor Tobi Adegboyega, has clarified that the Pastor is not facing deportation from the United Kingdom contrary to recent media reports.
In a statement posted on his X page (formerly Twitter) on Tuesday, Olawanle expressed amusement at the false claims, emphasising that deportation applies only to criminals, adding that Pastor Adegboyega has neither a criminal record nor conviction having lived in the UK for over 20 years and made significant contributions to the community.
The lawyer also clarified that despite facing challenges with the charity commission and the courts over the activities of SPAC NATIONS, Pastor Adegboyega was never personally found guilty of any wrongdoing. The reports were described as “idiocy,” saying it’s based on ignorance of basic immigration laws.
In response to the public outcry and critical comments surrounding the news, the lawyer urged people to refrain from spreading unfounded information.
Olawanle also lamented society’s tendency to revel in others’ misfortune and expressed concern about how quickly individuals, particularly those in the African community, are quick to tear down those who stand out.
The lawyer further stated that as Pastor Adegboyega’s legal representative, he had previously written in support of him during the High Court decisions related to SPAC NATIONS and reiterated that the deportation story is entirely false.
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He concluded by confirming that no further comments would be made on the matter, whether privately or officially.
The post reads, ” People with calls and text messages have inundated me since last night. I could not stop laughing when I read that Tobi Adegboyega faces deportation from the United Kingdom.
”The newspaper that carried the news was ignorant. I have acted for him as a lawyer on a personal basis and for the ministry. He is not facing deportation from the UK. That is elementary immigration laws for journalists.
”Deportation is for criminals. He is not. Even though the courts and the charity commission had issues with SPAC NATIONS, he was not personally found guilty of any wrongdoings.
Tobi has lived in the UK for at least 20 years without a criminal conviction. He has contributed significantly to the British community. He has faced many challenges, but he is a winner.
”Many of his adversaries are from the African community. Sensationalism is an act of idiocy. It is not worth the paper it was written on. I read some comments this morning and wondered why people are so quick to make ignorant comments without facts.
”I wondered why there is joy in seeing people go down, including so-called pastors. Society has a big problem, as we cannot handle people who are different and want them to go down.
”We love people who act sheepishly with zombie traits. As his lawyer, I wrote during the High Court decisions on SPAC NATIONS a few years ago. I have said that this latest news on deportation is false, and I will make no further comments on this deportation matter privately or officially.”
STATEMENT BY TOBI ADEGBOYEGA’S LAWYER
People with calls and text messages have inundated me since last night.
I could not stop laughing when I read that Tobi Adegboyega faces deportation from the United Kingdom. The newspaper that carried the news was ignorant. I have acted…
— Dele Olawanle (@dolawanle) December 4, 2024
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