YouTube deletes disgraced TB Joshua’s Emmanuel TV channel
Internet video-sharing giant YouTube has deleted the official channel of the embarrassed Nigerian televangelist TB Joshua’s megachurch for violating policies on hate speech.
The decision is coming barely a few weeks after the BBC uncovered evidence of widespread sexual abuse and torture by the late preacher, who is also the founder of the influential church.
The YouTube channel has been suspended two times in three years following previous breaches of the platform’s community guidelines.
Emmanuel TV had over 500,000 followers on YouTube and hundreds of millions of views.
TB Joshua died in 2021, but his Synagogue Church of All Nations (Scoan) is currently controlled by his wife Evelyn Joshua.
The church is yet to issue an official statement on the latest punishment by YouTube, but it has stated that prior accusations of misconduct were “unfounded”.
In an inquiry by the BBC, the Google-owned video-sharing platform said Emmanuel TV had been “terminated for violating… hate speech policies”.
Recall that the famous satellite services DStv and GOTv which are operated by MultiChoice, a South African firm, cancelled the satellite channel of Emmanuel TV on January 17 in response to the indicting investigative report by the BBC.
With millions of viewers worldwide, the channel was, for a long time, one of the most prosperous Christian networks in the world.
