A Nigerian pastor has come under heavy criticism online after a disturbing video emerged showing him demanding money from a church member and threatening deportation if his demand was not met.
According to reports, the pastor ordered the woman to ensure that her daughter, who currently resides in Australia, must transfer $1,000 to him within seven days. He claimed that failure to comply would result in him praying against her, leading to her deportation back to Nigeria.
In the video, the pastor bragged that he was the one who prayed for the young lady to obtain her visa, insisting that it was through his spiritual intervention that she successfully relocated abroad. He further accused the woman and her daughter of being ungrateful, lamenting that despite his efforts, they had gone ahead to buy property abroad without first “appreciating” him with money or gifts.
Eyewitnesses revealed that the confrontation started during a church ministration, where the pastor publicly claimed he saw a vision concerning the woman’s daughter. He then called her out, accusing her daughter of hiding wealth from him. The woman admitted that her daughter had indeed been facing property disputes abroad, but the pastor quickly twisted the revelation into a demand for financial compensation.
Pastor gives an ultimatum
The pastor warned that unless the family complied, he would use the same prayers that secured the visa to “reverse” her fortune. He declared that her stay in Australia was at his mercy and that her land dispute would never be resolved until she sent him the money.
He was quoted saying: “She dey buy land, she no buy for me, me wey pray? If she no send me $1,000 this week, dem go deport am.” His comments have since drawn widespread condemnation, with many describing it as a blatant case of manipulation and spiritual blackmail.
Netizens react
@DonMike_X said: “If he prayed her a visa and now threatens deportation for cash, someone needs to ask: who’s really running that church — God or a cash register?”
@ill_nojie wrote: “Who Dey earn 800k still need prayer to get Australian visa? Ahhh 😂😂”
@swtlovex added: “But everything is in the Bible. If we take time to study the Bible, this wouldn’t surprise us. For eg, Jesus talked about false prophets & disciples in Matt 7:16-23, Matt 24:1-12. In fact, every single thing we see now was talked about in the Bible & predicted to happen.”
The viral clip has now sparked a wider debate about the exploitation of vulnerable worshippers by so-called spiritual leaders, with many calling for stricter checks on such practices within Nigerian churches.
Watch video below …
“I prayed for your daughter to get visa; now she’s buying lands for herself without buying for me first. If she don’t give me $1,000 in 7 days, I’ll make them deport you.”😳🧎
-Pastor tells abroad member pic.twitter.com/8TelIRWBZm
— CHUKS 🍥 (@ChuksEricE) September 21, 2025