Special Report
TB Joshua: ‘We thought it was heaven but then terrible things happened’
TB Joshua, a charismatic Nigerian leader of one of the world’s biggest evangelical churches, secretly committed sexual crimes on a mass scale, a BBC investigation spanning three continents has found. Testimony from dozens of survivors suggests Joshua was abusing and raping young women from around the world several times a week for nearly 20 years.
In early 2002, in the depths of a grey English winter, 21-year-old Rae disappeared.
The last time many of her friends saw her was at university in Brighton. She had been studying graphic design, living in a shared house 25 minutes from the sea. Rae was bright and popular.
“For me, it was like she died, but I couldn’t grieve her,” says Carla, Rae’s best friend at the time.
Carla knew where Rae had gone. But the truth of it was hard to explain to their friends. A few weeks previously, she and Rae had travelled to Nigeria together, in search of a mysterious man who could seemingly heal people with his hands.
He was a Christian pastor, with a black beard, in white robes. His name was TB Joshua. His followers called him “The Prophet”.
Rae and Carla planned to visit his church, the Synagogue Church of All Nations [Scoan], for just one week. But Rae never came home. She had moved into Joshua’s compound.
“I left her there,” says Carla, tears flowing freely. “Never will I ever forgive myself for that.”
The church looms like a gothic temple over the Ikotun neighbourhood in Lagos, Africa’s largest city. Joshua designed all 12 storeys of the compound adjoining it, where he lived alongside many of his followers. He oversaw the construction of the multiple staircases to his bedroom. The three doors to it, in and out. The hidden prayer room full of tiny mirrors. The “clinic” downstairs.
We have interviewed many people who lived inside. They paint a picture of a concrete labyrinth; a nightmarish world where reality slipped away and horrors unfolded.
Numerous women say they were sexually assaulted by Joshua, with a number claiming they were repeatedly raped behind closed doors. Some say they were forced to have abortions after becoming pregnant.
Today, Rae is back in England, living in a beautiful hamlet in the countryside. She’s smiley and laughs freely, but there’s something restless about her.
“On the outside I look normal, but I’m not,” she says.
When Rae talks about her years in Lagos, her lips tighten. She talks breathlessly. At times, the colour visibly drains from her face. She spent 12 years inside Joshua’s compound.
“This story is like a horror story. It’s like something you watch in fiction, but it’s true.”
The two-year investigation, in collaboration with international media platform Open Democracy, has involved more than 15 BBC journalists across three continents. They gathered archive video recordings, documents, and hundreds of hours of interviews to corroborate Rae’s testimony and uncover further harrowing stories. More than 25 eyewitnesses and alleged victims, from the UK, Nigeria, Ghana, US, South Africa and Germany, have provided accounts of what it was like inside Joshua’s compound, with the most recent experiences in 2019.
More on TB Joshua and allegations
Allegations: Church leader abused and raped disciples, BBC finds
Profile: Nigeria’s disgraced televangelist
The Synagogue Church of All Nations did not respond to the allegations, but said previous claims have been unfounded.
Former followers have previously tried to speak out about abuse, but say they have been silenced or discredited by Scoan, and two say they were physically assaulted. When the BBC’s Africa Eye was filming outside the church, a security guard shot above the heads of the crew after they refused to hand over their material.
Many of our interviewees have waived their legal right to anonymity, in most cases asking just their surnames be omitted. Others asked that their identities remain hidden for fear of reprisals.
The man at the heart of Scoan is regarded as one of the most influential pastors in African history. He died, unexpectedly, in June 2021, just days after many of our first interviews were recorded. On the day of his funeral, Lagos ground to a halt as mourning crowds packed the streets.
TB Joshua was hugely influential in Nigeria – and across the world
Some 50,000 people would attend Joshua’s services every week, and the church became a top site for foreign visitors to Nigeria. His global television and social media empire was among the most successful Christian networks in the world, with millions of viewers spanning Europe, the Americas, South East Asia and Africa. His YouTube channel had hundreds of millions of views.
The church is still popular today, led by his widow Evelyn and a new team of disciples.
An interview with Nelson Mandela’s daughter in 2013 shows a portrait of Joshua sitting on the former president of South Africa’s desk. In his lifetime, Joshua attracted dozens of politicians and celebrities to his church, including sporting legends such as Chelsea FC striker Didier Drogba and at least nine African presidents.
For support and information on sexual abuse, please consult this BBC Actionline within the UK. And for more information on cults, please see The Family Survival Trust
Many of his followers were drawn by his philanthropy, but most came for his so-called miracles. Joshua systematically filmed spectacular “healings” throughout his career. After Joshua prayed for them, individuals on camera testified to being cured of ailments ranging from cancer and HIV/Aids, to chronic migraines and blindness.
“We’d never… seen anything like that before,” says Solomon Ashoms, a journalist who covers African religion.
“The mysteries that he had, the secrets that he carried, [were] what people followed.”
A number of Joshua’s videos show men with severely infected genitals, which burst open and then miraculously heal when he raises his arm in prayer. Others show women struggling to give birth, who instantaneously deliver their children when Joshua approaches. After each event, those involved would testify to being saved.
TB Joshua deliberately courted Westerners to market his brand, former insiders say
Video tapes of Joshua’s healings were circulating among evangelical churches throughout Europe and Africa in the late 1990s and early 2000s.
Rae, who had grown up with conservative Christian values, was inspired to travel to Lagos after watching these videos, shown to her by a South African acquaintance.
“I was gay and I didn’t want to be,” she says. “I thought: ‘Well, maybe this is the answer to my problems. Maybe this man can straighten me out. Like if he prays for me, I won’t be gay any more.’”
Another British woman, Anneka, from Derby, in the Midlands, says she was also entranced by the videos.
Anneka says the videos of Joshua’s “miracles” compelled her to travel to Nigeria – and join the church
“The whole room went completely still,” she says, describing the moment her church congregation first encountered the tapes when she was 16.
“This is what Jesus would have done,” she remembers thinking. She, too, went on to travel to Nigeria.
Neither Rae nor Anneka, nor many of the young people who left their home countries to meet Joshua in the early 2000s, paid for their tickets. Church groups across England raised funds to send pilgrims to Lagos to witness these miracles – and Joshua contributed Scoan money himself, senior former church insiders say. Later, once the church was well established, he charged high prices for pilgrims to come and stay.
Bisola, a Nigerian who spent 14 years inside the compound, says courting Westerners was a key tactic.
“He used the white people to market his brand,” she says.
Former insiders estimate Joshua made tens of millions of dollars from pilgrims and other money streams – fundraising, video sales, and stadium appearances abroad. He rose from poverty to become one of Africa’s richest pastors.
Agomoh Paul says he was in charge of the “miracles” production
“That guy [was] a genius,” says Agomoh Paul, a man once regarded as Joshua’s number two in the church, who left after 10 years in the compound.
“Everything… [he did was] planned out.”
A major part of this planning was the faking of the “miracles” says Agomoh Paul, which he says he oversaw.
He and other sources say that those “cured” had often been paid to perform or exaggerate their symptoms before their supposed healing took place. In some cases, they say, people had been unknowingly drugged or given medicine to improve their conditions while at the church, and later persuaded to give testimony about their recovery. Others were falsely told they had tested positive for HIV/Aids and that, thanks to Joshua’s ministrations, they had now become virus-free.
When Rae landed in the seething heat of Lagos, she saw miracles too. Dozens of people came and testified to having been healed of serious illnesses.
“I had a really involuntary reaction. I just broke down in floods of tears,” she says.
It was then that Rae was chosen. Joshua singled her out to become a “disciple” – an elite group of followers who served him and lived with him inside his compound.
Rae thought she was going to study under Joshua, to “cure” her sexuality, to learn how to heal people.
The reality was very different.
“We all thought we were in heaven, but we were in hell,” she says. “And in hell terrible things happen.”
Disciples: The Cult of TB Joshua
A shocking journey into a maze of manipulation and terrifying abuse perpetrated by one of the most powerful religious figures of the 21st Century
Watch now on BBC iPlayer (UK Only) or on the BBC Africa YouTube channel
World of Secrets – The Disciples
A nine-episode season – a shocking journey into a maze of manipulation and terrifying abuse
Listen now on BBC Sounds
Sixteen of the former disciples we interviewed, including Rae, provided first-hand testimony of sexual assault or rape by Joshua. Many say it happened frequently – as much as two to four times a week – for the duration of their time in the compound. Some described violent rapes which left them struggling to breath or bleeding.
Many believed they were the only ones being assaulted and did not dare share what was happening to them with the other disciples, as they were all encouraged to report on each other.
According to Victoria, who asked us to change her name for safety reasons, and who spent more than five years in the compound, other sexual assault victims were often hand picked by Joshua from the church congregation.
She says she was picked out while attending the church’s Sunday school, and says she was raped in Joshua’s private quarters a few months later, after her parents entrusted her into his care. She was then recruited as a resident disciple.
Victoria says Joshua ordered some of his most trusted Nigerian disciples to help identify new victims. The group was informally known as the “fishing department” and she says it ultimately coerced her into joining.
Another disciple involved in similar recruitment was Bisola.
Image caption,
Bisola says she was forced by Joshua to select young women for him to abuse
“TB Joshua asked me to recruit virgins for him… So that he could bring them into the disciple-fold and disvirgin them,” she says.
She participated because of both “indoctrination” and threats of violence, she says, adding she herself was repeatedly raped by Joshua.
A number of women say they were under the age of legal of consent – which is 18 in Lagos state – when they were sexually assaulted or raped. This offence can lead to the death penalty in Nigeria.
Jessica Kaimu, now a broadcast journalist in Namibia, says she was just 17 and a virgin when Joshua raped her in the bathroom of his penthouse, within weeks of her becoming a disciple.
Image caption,
Jessica Kaimu says she was repeatedly raped by TB Joshua
“I was screaming and he was whispering in my ear that I should stop acting like a baby… I was so traumatised, I couldn’t cry,” she says.
Jessica says this encounter was repeated again and again, throughout the five years she spent as a disciple. Her account mirrors that of other women who spoke to the BBC, and also of accounts by four of Joshua’s male personal servants who were given the job of clearing up the physical evidence of this abuse.
Many of the details of our interviewees’ accounts are too graphic to publish. They include multiple first-hand accounts of women being stripped naked, and raped with objects – including one woman who says it happened to her twice before the age of 15.
“It was so painful, he violated me,” the woman, who asked to remain anonymous, says. “Words cannot properly express it. It scarred me for life.”
A number of interviewees who say they were raped and became pregnant by Joshua, explain how they were also then given forced abortions inside the compound – in an area known as the “medical department” or “clinic”.
“It would all be done in secrecy,” says Sihle, a South African former disciple, who says she had three forced abortions in the church.
“You are given a concoction to drink and you get sick. Or they put these metal pieces in your vagina and they extract whatever. And you don’t know whether they’re [accidentally] pulling out your womb.”
Sihle wept throughout her interview, as did Jessica who says she was given five forced abortions.
Bisola says she witnessed “dozens” of abortions during her 14 years inside the church. At times, she says she would climb to the highest floor of the compound and cry, begging God to save her.
The disciples served his every need. They gave him massages, helped him dress, sprayed perfume when he entered the room. They placed plastic gloves on his hands so he could eat his food without touching a crumb.
Rather than call him by his name, they were all encouraged to address him as “Daddy”. It’s not uncommon for a Nigerian pastor in the Pentecostal tradition to be addressed this way, but the disciples say it was a term Joshua insisted on.
“My mind was like it had been shaken,” says Anneka. “There was no cognitive clarity at all… Reality was skewed completely.”
The physical design of the compound deepened their disorientation.
“It was a maze of staircases,” says Rae.
In 2014, the construction cost lives. A six-storey guest house built for international guests collapsed, killing at least 116 people.
A subsequent local government report found structural failure and shoddy building work to be the cause of the collapse. No-one has ever been prosecuted.
Some of our interviewees told us they believe the death toll was significantly higher than reported, explaining that a number of Nigerian nationals who had been working on the guesthouse were not listed as victims, and that church members had botched rescue attempts and hidden bodies at night.
They say Joshua also prevented the emergency services from assisting rescue efforts in the immediate aftermath, ever aware of his public profile.
His grip on communication was always tight, our sources say.
Rae says it was only after she left that she realised that her family and friends had been sending her emails. She had never received them.
Joshua restricted disciples’ access to phones and email accounts, our interviewees say.
“He wanted to control everybody, everything,” says Agomoh Paul. “What he was really scrambling for [was] the control of people’s minds.”
The disciples say they were made to work, without pay, for long hours each day – running all aspects of the megachurch. All say sleep deprivation was routine, with lights left on in the dormitories at night.
Anneka says they never had more than four hours of sleep at a time.
Image caption,
Scoan continues to thrive today, under the leadership of Joshua’s widow, Evelyn
If anyone was caught napping without permission, or contravening any other of Joshua’s rules, they would be punished. Nineteen former disciples described witnessing violent attacks or torture within the compound, carried out by Joshua or on his orders.
Other disciples described being stripped and whipped themselves, with electrical cables and a horse whip known as a koboko. Among those allegedly targeted in this way were trainee disciples as young as seven.
The compound in Lagos had 12ft-high [3.7m] walls and armed guards. But what really kept the disciples there was the fanatical loyalty he generated, and deep-rooted fears instilled by Joshua about what might happen to them if they did escape.
“It was a psychological prison,” says Rae. “It’s extremely difficult to understand how somebody can go through psychological abuse to the extent that they lose their critical thinking.”
“Scoan fits the definition of a cult rather precisely,” says Dr Alexandra Stein, an honorary fellow at the University of Sussex and member of The Family Survival Trust, which raises public awareness of cult groups.
She has encountered multiple Scoan survivors, and says Joshua isolated his victims, putting them through “coercively controlling processes of stress, fear, guilt and shame”. She adds this meant they became too frightened to leave.
All the BBC interviewees spoke of “brainwashing”, “indoctrination” and “mind control” – and many described life as a disciple under Joshua as like being in a “cult”.
Rae says for her, it is the psychological torture that has left the deepest scars. She says Joshua subjected her to a form of punishment known as “adobe” for two years, during which she was forbidden from leaving the compound, and nobody inside was allowed to talk to her.
“I was basically in total isolation… I had a complete breakdown,” she says. “I tried to commit suicide five times.”
Image caption,
Rae is now back in the UK after 12 years in the Scoan compound
In being pushed to the brink, something cracked in Rae’s mind. Twelve years of indoctrination began to unravel.
“He made a huge mistake, he lost control of me,” she says.
While travelling with the church on a tour to Mexico, Rae slipped away from the disciples. She never went back.
Her life is now very different. But she has to live with the disappointment that there is no way to hold Joshua to account.
“TB Joshua dying before facing justice for the atrocities he committed, has been deeply frustrating. It’s only added to the gross sense of injustice felt by all of us as his victims.”
We contacted Scoan with the allegations in our investigation. They did not respond to them, but denied previous claims against TB Joshua.
“Making unfounded allegations against Prophet TB Joshua is not a new occurrence… None of the allegations was ever substantiated,” they wrote.
ENUGU – A high-profile land dispute between the former Governor of old Anambra State, Chief Jim Ifeanyichukwu Nwobodo, and the Chief Executive Officer of Energy FM, Dr. Basil Kenechukwu Ogbuanu, has escalated into a legal firestorm following the alleged demolition of property worth hundreds of millions of naira.
At the heart of the crisis is a ₦5.8 billion claim brought by Dr. Ogbuanu against the elder statesman and his wife, Dr. Patricia Nwobodo. The Lagos-based businessman alleges that his investments at Patson Estate, Independence Layout, were not only secured through a deceptive web of shell companies but were eventually reduced to rubble while he was being “persecuted” through the criminal justice system.
The Demolition and the ₦5.8bn Bill
According to court filings obtained by our correspondent, Dr. Ogbuanu is seeking ₦820 million in special damages specifically for the destruction of his buildings and the loss of construction materials.
This is bolstered by an additional ₦5 billion claim in general damages for what he describes as emotional and psychological distress.
Ogbuanu’s legal team asserts that after obtaining all necessary building permits and government approvals, his development was allegedly targeted in early 2026.
The plaintiff claims that while he was being detained, earthmoving equipment—allegedly protected by police officers—leveled his structures and carted away materials worth millions.
A Web of Companies and “Conflicting Titles”
The plaintiff’s statement of claim paints a picture of a complex transaction involving multiple entities linked to the Nwobodos. Ogbuanu alleges he paid over ₦235 million for several plots (R/18 to R/22), initially dealing with Millennium Construction & Estate Developers Ltd.
However, the plot thickened when subsequent transactions were moved to Linkana Hotels Limited. A search at the Ministry of Lands later revealed a third entity, Moss Island Limited, held the actual title as of 2022.
“All the sales done in the name of Linkana had no authority because the property belonged to another company,” a source familiar with the case alleged.
The Counter-Suit: “No Enforceable Sale”
In a swift legal counter-move (Suit No. E/244/2025), Senator Jim Nwobodo and his wife have asked the court to declare that no valid or enforceable sale ever took place.
The former Governor maintains that Ogbuanu proceeded with construction despite being notified that titles were undergoing recertification due to government land-use changes.
Nwobodo claims he offered the investor a refund, which was rejected. He further alleges that Ogbuanu’s workers assaulted a police officer and “unlawfully confined” his wife during a site visit in January 2026.
The Failed Criminal Prosecution
While the civil suits loom, the Nwobodos suffered a legal setback on April 15, 2026. A Magistrate Court struck out criminal charges of conspiracy and assault filed against Dr. Ogbuanu.
His Worship D.K. Ekoh lambasted the complainants for a “lack of diligent prosecution,” noting that Dr. Patricia Nwobodo failed to appear in court to lead evidence.
The court consequently awarded ₦1 million in costs against her, with the Magistrate remarking that complainants who stay in “luxury homes” instead of proving their case must pay for the wrongful inconvenience caused to the defendants.
The Road Ahead
As it stands, the Enugu State High Court is set to become the battlefield for two conflicting narratives: one of an investor allegedly defrauded and his property demolished, and another of a prominent family defending their estate from “unauthorized building activities.”
By Petrus Obi
My recent trip to Nsukka was a memorable one which I felt should be shared with other road users.
Having been out of Enugu for sometime I returned to a town with visible changes and turnarounds.
As we we drove round town my friend Ejike (Fellas) would quickly point out some wonderful touches that have made the overall road rehabilitations in the state capital remarkable.
The issue of roads in Enugu is a topic for another day but one must not fail to appreciate the eloquent efforts of Governor Peter Mbah.
Back to our trip to Nsukka through the Ugwogo/Opi road. My friend was driving but I was the first to spot the Armoured Personnel Carrier at a corner as we approached the Opi end of the road which had in the past witnessed some criminal activities which had put fear on road users.
Armoured Personnel Carrier parked (l) on the Opi road
As though the first Armoured Personnel Carrier wasn’t enough, I spotted yet another one just after one of the sharp bends. I had no option than to ask my friend to park.
I walked up to the policeman on the road to make some enquiries but he directed me to their commander who was dressed ‘battle ready’. I wasn’t just impressed with what I was seeing, I also felt as confident and secure as anyone will feel in a safe environment.
My enquiries revealed that the men on duty were from the Mopol 76 PMF, Enugu.
To say that the men deployed to this hitherto red spot on that road, must have been carefully selected; as my friend pointed out, was like repeating the obvious, because any road user who encountered these policemen will know that there’s a difference from other policemen one has been meeting. (Not in all situation anyway.)
These officers understood why they were posted to the area and refused to be distracted.
Apart from some officers who paraded the area with what looked like a highjack motorcycle, there were no necessary delay of vehicles on that road.
At no point on that road did we see more than one vehicle parked, for whatever reason. It was the normal police, ‘where are you coming from, why are you going, what do you have in your boot, and the traffic kept flowing.
Taking a step further in our findings we stopped at a nearby spot to enquire if the heavey security presence noticed was a one-off thing. It was reliably gathered that the security presence was a 24-hour service.
It was further revealed that the men on ground were relieved by a new team after every 48 hours.
My friend was quick to point out that the overall security network in the state has highly improved under the Governor Peter Mbah administration.
Initially we were in a hurry to return to Enugu in good time, but having seen what was on ground we couldn’t help but take out time to relax at a palm wine joint where the itching ears of this reporter eaves-dropped constantly on the beer parlour discussions that is usual in such spots.
Of importance, in the discussions was the issue of the Vice Chancellor position of the University of Nigeria, as well as the performance of the governor.
An elderly man who had already told his story of the Nigeria Civil War, the position of Nsukka people in politics, declared that the Governor is doing marvelously well. His declaration immediately earned him a free cup of palm wine from one of the guests, who later identified himself as a lecturer from Igboeze North Local Government Area.
With our full beams on, we drove back that night to Enugu with the same security team still in place, and vehicles going their different ways with every sense of confidence and security.
The ubiquitous presence of the Distress Response Service (DRS) must not be left out in this narrative.
In-fact we lost count of the number of DRS vehicles stationed on the road.
This is not just commendable but should be replicated in other states of the South East where crime like kidnapping still persists.
The police must also be commended just as the governor of Enugu State.
The deployment of two Armoured Personnel Carrier to the Opi end of that road speaks volumes towards the commitment of the governor to ensure the security of lives and property of the citizens.
By Ejeh Josh
In his classical work, “Do You Pass the Leadership Test?”, a Harvard business CEO, Bill Taylor, tersely captured the traits every successful leader must possess thus; “The true mark of a leader is the willingness to stick with a bold course of action — an unconventional business strategy, a unique product-development roadmap, a controversial marketing campaign — even as the rest of the world wonders why you’re not marching in step with the status quo. In other words, real leaders are happy to zig while others zag. They understand that in an era of hyper-competition and non-stop disruption, the only way to stand out from the crowd is to stand for something special.“
As I reflect upon this overarching quote by the renowned author, I could only draw a tiny imagery of how successful entrepreneurs disrupt and shatter the traditions, crack open the convention and take very unpopular decisions that end up in creating a new paradigm and establishing a novel trajectory in the straits of economic development. That’s a thought that struck me while I remember a brother and a leader and what he means to me and to humanity at large.
However, far from his entrepreneurial exploits and the many ceilings he had gallantly shattered to attain an enviable height in the private sector, for those who know him, either through direct connection or by extension of his goodwill, Hon Chidera Nwodo is an exemplary epitome of selflessness, self-sacrifice and compassion for humanity.
His life is a testimony of dedication to lifting others from the abyss of trial and freedom from the vacuous oppression of confusions and tyranny of the cold hand of reality. As far as people are happy, Chidera Nwodo will shift the post for them and establish a new frontier of hope for their wellbeing.
Whichever way one sees him, there is always that inner – perhaps – innate connection of a shining light that never ceases. It’s a light wrapped in a flame of grace, love, and sacrifice. That’s what many of us have seen, heard, and it’s probably going to be a testimony that will outlive the present time.
I am compelled, in good faith, to celebrate one of the leading entrepreneurs in Enugu State, with interests in real estate development and management, hospitality, entertainment, education and technology. This is the only gift I have to offer in deference to his personality as a bridge-builder; conferencing and networking across diverse cycles of investors, yet associating with men of lowly means.
He breaks the class barrier. Silent the boisterous wing of arrogance which will usually accompany success. In today’s Catholic’s first and gospel readings, from the Book of Wisdom 7:7-11 and Mark 10:17-30, we learned the significance of wisdom amidst stupendous wealth. Wisdom is even more profitable than wealth because it coheres with humility, genuine concerns for others, with detachment from the transient nature of materialism and the eternal principle of selfless sacrifice for humanity.
Hon Chidera Nwodo, popularly known as “Eze Omeogo”, a title accorded to him by the masses because of his philanthropic gesture and uncommon contribution to the development of the society, is the face of love, charity, friendship, trust and respect.
The Ubuntu philosophy of the sacrificial love of togetherness is all I have always seen in him for the past years when destiny crossed our path in a rather rude manner. That path is to later turn a path of blessing, and that relish of storytelling that can only be told with the patience that comes with a fine Ukehe palm wine and tasty nkwobi from Colliery Guest House and Garden aesthetically designed by nature where intelligent goat, native veggies, continental beaf and cow legs, vegetable chicken, assorted bush meat, and roasted fish compliment the folklore.
Happy birthday to the man of the people. Congratulations.
In a shocking turn of events, the much-anticipated airdrop from crypto-mining app, Hamster Kombat, which had been trending for months, has left thousands of Nigerians in uproar.
After five long months of continuous tapping to earn rewards, users expected substantial payouts promised by the coin’s promoters—some dreaming of becoming millionaires.
However, as the coin finally launched on Thursday, the reality hit hard: instead of the massive financial rewards users had been led to believe, payouts ranged from a mere 1 to 4 dollars.
Unconfirmed reports about the highest earner so far ranged from 7 to 17 dollars.
Social media is ablaze with frustrations, as disgruntled users lament receiving as little as ₦2.75 for their efforts.
The campaign, which had promised to turn everyday Nigerians into billionaires and CEOs, has instead sparked widespread disappointment and anger.
Nigerians have taken to various platforms to express their outrage, accusing Hamster Coin of misleading them.
The once-hopeful community of tappers is now filled with “tears and wailings,” as what was supposed to be a life-changing opportunity has turned into a bitter letdown.
Hamster Kombat came to life in March 2024.
On Thursday afternoon, the official X account, #hamster_kombat, announced the coin’s long-awaited launch.
It read, “THE MOMENT IS HERE
“$HMSTR trading has official begun! Congratulations, and to the moon, CEOs.
“On-chain is on. On-chain direct claim and balance withdrawal options are open. You can now transfer your tokens anywhere!”
A check to CoinMarketCap, reveals that the crypto asset was listed as HMSTR on number 114 at $0.008315 at at about 15.36pm on Thursday.
The market cap is valued at $535.3m and the volume since launch (in 24 hours) is $448.7m.
Nigeria, a nation once notorious for military rule, is marking 25 years of democracy, at a time when several of its West African neighbours have had coups in recent years.
The brass bands will play, the crowd will cheer and the president will make a speech – but outside of Wednesday’s official event many may be wondering what the celebration is really for.
“You cannot eat democracy” is a phrase often attributed to autocrats – but it has also been used by elected leaders as a warning about what a population might demand of them.
As many Nigerians struggle to earn enough to live on, amid an economic crisis and dramatically rising prices, some appear to be very unhappy with how they are being governed.
A survey by respected polling organisation Afrobarometer in 2022, before the current crisis, found that more than three-quarters of Nigerians surveyed were either “not very” or “not at all” satisfied with democracy.
A worrying statistic for Africa’s most populous country.
Nevertheless, the same survey found that a majority preferred democracy to any other system of governance.
Perhaps because the bitter memories of military rule still linger for many.
Since independence in 1960, the periods of civilian rule were short-lived with generals governing the country for most of the time up until 1999.
“A military coup will be almost impossible in Nigeria now,” historian Prof Kayode Soremekun said.
“The military itself has exhausted its own historic possibilities. Over time, the military has been shown to be as venal as the political class. So, the majority of Nigerians no longer see them as messiahs,” he added.
The military regimes were filled with pain and oppression, 59-year-old Adedeji Adekunle told the BBC.
Now an event planner, he recalled his experience as a student in early 1998.
“Years back, I joined a ‘military-must-go’ protest in [the main city] Lagos and soldiers attacked and arrested us. Many were tortured. It was a traumatic experience,” he said.
The period of military rule in the 1980s and 1990s was “marked by economic collapse, political repression and systematic human rights violations”, according to New York-based campaign group Human Rights Watch.
After the death of Nigeria’s head of state, Gen Sani Abacha in 1998, his successor, Gen Abdulsalami Abubakar promised elections, ushering in a new era of civilian rule a year later.
“The return of democracy to Nigeria in 1999 raised a lot of expectations, dreams, and wishes for a free, secure, united, and peaceful country,” former Senator Shehu Sani said.
Mr Adekunle breathed a sigh of relief at the time.
“Many of us initially doubted if Gen Abubakar would hand over power, but after the election was held and the winner was announced, the atmosphere changed. It was like a fresh breeze blew on the nation.”
But for today’s youth, who were not politically aware or even born at that time, the folk memory of military rule is less important.
Current President, Bola Tinubu, in power for just over a year, is facing the challenge of winning over the hearts and minds of young Nigerians amid a tough economic environment, some of which is of his own making.
His ending of the fuel subsidy and allowing the currency to devalue have sent prices shooting up.
These ambitious reforms were aimed at stabilising the economy and fostering sustainable growth in the long term, but that is no succour for those most affected.
And taking the past 25 years in Nigeria as a whole, the fact that the average income per person has seen a more than four-fold increase is unimportant for many.
It is how they perceive the current situation that counts.
As a consequence some young Nigerians, such as 33-year-old screenwriter MI Thomas, would not mind a return to military rule.
‘’I have voted since I turned 18 and all of the leaders have disappointed, every single one of them. Military regimes are decisive. They take swift action and bring effectiveness to governance,’’ he said.
A number of other young Nigerians have expressed the same desire on social media.
What may have encouraged this could be a lack of trust in the political class due to unfulfilled promises.
But it could also be a rose-tinted view of the past, with people saying that there was not as much crime and corruption during military rule.
But some may have forgotten, for example, that the late Gen Abacha looted and stashed a huge amount of public funds overseas. At least $6bn (£4.7bn) in cash and assets have been recovered so far.
It would be expected that President Tinubu was particularly sensitive to talk of military rule as he himself was once imprisoned for pro-democracy activities.
Very soon after coming to power, the president was faced with dealing with the coup in neighbouring Niger and was quick to condemn it and threatened military action – however his bold rhetoric came to nothing.
But at home, for its part, the military leadership has said that it has no interest in retaking power.
Chief of Defence Staff Gen Christopher Musa said in February that “people making such calls for a military takeover do not love Nigeria”.
“We want to make it clear that the armed forces of Nigeria are here to protect democracy. We all want democracy; we do better during democracy, and so, the armed forces will continue to support democracy.”
People have bitter memories of the time when Nigeria was ruled by Gen Sani Abacha, who died in office in 1998
There have been episodes in the past 25 years – such as when the whereabouts of late President Umar Musa Yar’Adua were unknown – that the military could have seized power, but nothing happened.
National lawmaker Senator Babangida Hussaini from Jigawa state in the north believes this is because reforms had been introduced to tame “the over-ambitious military and strengthen some institutions of governance and democracy”.
The senator admits that while “we may not have met the expectations of Nigerians… overall, we have made progress”.
There are also some, such as development studies professor Fidelis Allen, who have questioned whether the absence of military rule can be equated with true democracy.
Nigerians have voted at regular intervals since 1999 but there are still questions over whether those in office are truly accountable to the electorate in terms of how public money is spent, and if they are honest and open about their decision making.
Prof Soremekun believes that more work needs to be done to strengthen democracy.
“It is good in itself; but it must also deliver dividends to the Nigerian people,” he said.
And for those, like Mr Adekunle, who still remember military rule, there is no choice.
“Democracy is sweet, it offers people freedom. There’s nothing good with military governance.”
Source: BBC
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