Hertta-Maria Amutenja
In an exposé, the late Nigerian pastor TB Joshua, founder of the Synagogue Church of All Nations (SCOAN), is under scrutiny for allegations of widespread abuse and torture, including rape and forced abortions, as disclosed by the BBC documentary “Disciples.”
Among the survivors coming forward is Namibia Broadcasting Corporation TV anchor Jessica Kaimu, a 33-year-old local media personality, who shed light on the harrowing experiences within the walls of the SCOAN.
Jessica recounts her journey, which began at the age of 17 when she was drawn to the Synagogue Church through Emmanuel TV.
Initially, the church seemed like a beacon of purpose for Jessica, but the reality within the compound would soon take a dark turn.
The BBC’s investigation, spanning two years, revealed disturbing details of physical violence, torture, and sexual assault allegedly committed by TB Joshua over almost two decades.
The allegations include instances of child abuse, people being whipped and chained, numerous cases of sexual assault, and multiple claims of forced abortions within the church.
For Jessica, the nightmare began when a fellow church member falsely accused her of inappropriate behaviour. When confronted, TB Joshua responded with violence, hitting, punching, slapping, and kicking her in the stomach.
Under the guise of delivering her, she said he coerced Jessica into his room, where she was forced to undress.
“He was telling me that he was my father and delivering me. We went into his room and he told me to remove my clothes which I did.
He then just pointed and I lay down and that’s when he raped me and broke my virginity. I was screaming and he would whisper in my ear to stop acting like a baby and I should just shut up as I wanted people to hear. I felt like he was a beast,” Kaimu revealed during an interview with the BBC.
It was in that room that she alleges she was raped, her virginity forcibly taken from her.
“I was 17 years old, I was underage. I was still so shocked and still bleeding. He then held my hand and looked straight into my eyes and said I can see you are my child now, don’t betray me,” she said.
She further describes the trauma of being trapped in a cycle of rape.
Kaimu recalls, became a normalized and terrifying occurrence, likening it to being an “animal being slaughtered.
“It was a nasty cycle. Rape became like a normal terrifying thing that he would do. It’s like you are an animal being slaughtered,” she said.
Furthermore, the survivors, including Kaimu, also revealed that TB Joshua enforced a disturbing policy regarding pregnancies within the church.
Women who were allegedly raped by him were reportedly coerced into having forced abortions. Kaimu said she underwent what she describes as “backdoor medical treatments” that could have been life-threatening.
“We went out through the back door of his office and down the stairs. A lady was squeezing my stomach, and I had to push out those things.
And he was standing there shouting ‘Out!’. These were back-door medical treatments that we were going through. It could have killed us,” Kaimu disclosed during the interview.
The BBC’s investigative findings include accounts from more than 25 former disciples, corroborating each other’s testimonies.
However, the Synagogue Church of All Nations has not responded specifically to these allegations, maintaining that previous claims against TB Joshua were unfounded.
