Controversial UK-based Nigerian pastor Tobi Adegboyega has ignited widespread reactions online following remarks in a viral video addressing Christianity and Africa’s colonial experience.

 

Adegboyega, founder of the Salvation Proclaimers Anointed Church, popularly known as Salvation Proclaimers Anointed Church (SPAC Nation), alleged that religion was weaponised against Africans during the colonial era.

 

In the trending clip, the pastor claimed that European colonisers presented Christianity as a superior religion while using it as a tool of control.

 

“The white man came to Africa when he came to colonize us. He told us he was selling to us a bigger religion,” he said.

 

He further alleged that certain Bible passages were deliberately emphasised or inserted to enforce submission, referencing the phrase, “slaves obey your masters.” According to him, religion was used to manipulate African leaders and communities into compliance, ultimately benefiting colonial powers.

 

“He used God to trick us. He tricked us into submission. He tricked our leaders into submission so that he can use us build his own country,” Adegboyega stated.

 

The pastor also argued that while Africans continue to embrace Christianity fervently, Western nations have largely distanced themselves from strict religious adherence after benefiting from its historical influence.

 

“Now, Africans are the ones embracing religion and he’s left it because he’s finished using it,” he said, adding that a new generation of Africans is beginning to question inherited religious narratives.

 

In one of the most striking moments of the speech, Adegboyega declared, “They put our parents in a ship called Jesus and they shipped them in chains and fetters to other countries.”

 

He concluded with another provocative claim, describing Christianity as a “social construct” and arguing that it dictates aspects of life, including marriage, despite what he suggested were limited direct instructions in the Bible.

 

The remarks have since generated intense debate across social media platforms, with some supporting his call for critical reflection on history and religion, while others have criticised his interpretation of Christian doctrine and historical events.