Why Prophet TB Joshua YouTube Channel Was Deleted

YouTube has terminated the official channel of Nigerian televangelist TB Joshua’s megachurch, citing a violation of their hate speech policies. This comes weeks after an investigation by the BBC and openDemocracy revealed evidence of widespread sexual abuse and torture within the late preacher’s ministry.

The channel, Emmanuel TV, played a significant role in TB Joshua’s rise from a local pastor to a global star. Although TB Joshua passed away in 2021, his wife Evelyn Joshua now runs the Synagogue Church of All Nations (SCOAN).

The church has not yet commented on the removal of their YouTube channel, but they previously stated that allegations of wrongdoing were “unfounded.” Emmanuel TV had over half a million followers and hundreds of millions of views on YouTube.

This is the second time in three years that their YouTube channel has been suspended due to a breach of the platform’s community guidelines. As part of the investigation by the BBC and openDemocracy, at least 50 “abusive” videos were discovered on Emmanuel TV’s online presence, which were reported to YouTube and resulted in the account’s suspension on January 29.

YouTube, in a statement to the BBC, said that Emmanuel TV was “terminated for violating… hate speech policies.” The content reported by openDemocracy included videos showing individuals with mental health issues being kept in chains, cases of medical misinformation, and smear campaigns against women who spoke out about TB Joshua’s sexual abuse.

In addition to the termination of their YouTube channel, Emmanuel TV’s satellite channel was dropped by MultiChoice, a South African company that operates popular satellite services DStv and GOTv, on January 17. The channel had been one of the most successful Christian networks globally, reaching millions of viewers worldwide.

Following the publication of the BBC investigation, contributors to the report were targeted by church and Emmanuel TV-affiliated accounts online. These accounts were also reported to YouTube by openDemocracy, but no action has been taken to remove them.

YouTube and other social media platforms have faced increased scrutiny in recent years regarding their online safety policies.