By Adenike Lawal
Wealthy and influential pastors in Nigeria who own secret companies abroad have recently been exposed by the Pandora Papers.
Arguably the most talked-about thing on the internet at the moment, Pandora Papers is a reporting project led by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ) involving 600 journalists and 150 news organization who studied confidential files and financial documents.
It revealed the financial secrets of not less than 35 current and former world leaders, more than 330 public officials in more than 91 countries and territories. No fewer than 10 influential people in Nigeria have been named in the exposé — three of them, popular pastors.
Oyedepo
An offshore company belonging to the Founder of the Living Faith Church Worldwide aka Winners’ Chapel, Bishop David Oyedepo was revealed in the investigation.
Premium Times, the only Nigerian news organization involved in the project, reported that the said company, Zadok Investment Limited was established in August 20, 2007 with 50,000 ordinary shares with a value of $1.00 each.
The directors of the company are the clergyman and his two sons, Isaac and David while every member of his family are listed as shareholders.
Oyedepo and his wife are said to own the largest shares of 30 percent each, while David and Isaac own 10 percent respectively.
The document did not reveal the exact business and transaction the offshore company was set up to conduct. However, it appears to be the family investment vehicle in which the family’s wealth is warehoused for offshore management.
Oyakhilome
Pastor Chris Oyakhilome, one of Africa’s popular pastors, was also exposed to have secretly established Gmobile Nigeria Limited, an offshore company for his family in the British Island.
According to reports, the shareholders listed in the documents included Oyakhilome’s wife at the time, Anita; another pastor in his organization, Thomas Amenkhienan; a business associate, Aigobomian Inegbedion; and another British Virgin Islands company, GTMT International Group Limited.
T.B Joshua
Findings from the Pandora Papers exposed how the Founder of Synagogue Church of All Nations (SCOAN), the late Prophet Temitope Balogun Joshua, better known as TB Joshua, set up a secret offshore business.
The clergyman and his wife Evelyn own Chillon consultancy limited, a company established on June 20, 2006.
Both owners own one ordinary share each, although the company was authorised to issue a maximum 50,000 per value shares of a single class.
Meanwhile, after Joshua’s death on June 5 , 2021, his wife Evelyn has been involved in a long-standing battle with members of the church over leadership and management of SCOAN’s assets.[tps_footer][/tps_footer]
