A United States-based missionary and humanitarian worker, Alex Barbir, has strongly criticised the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), Pastor Enoch Adeboye, over the church’s donation to the Federal Government to support the evacuation of stranded Nigerians from South Africa.
Barbir described the RCCG’s intervention as “an act of slavery,” questioning why a leading Christian organisation would provide financial support for an exercise coordinated by President Bola Tinubu’s administration.
He also raised concerns about the role of Christian leaders in backing government-led efforts at a time when, in his view, Christians in Nigeria continue to face insecurity and attacks.
The Redeemed Christian Church of God, led by Pastor Adeboye, donated $265,854 (approximately N352 million) to fund the purchase of 500 one-way flight tickets for Nigerians seeking to return home amid renewed xenophobic and Afrophobic attacks in South Africa. The Federal Government, through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, publicly acknowledged and praised the contribution.
In a statement signed by ministry spokesperson Oluwafemi Adeniyi, the government described the donation as “a significant demonstration of RCCG’s compassion, solidarity and genuine commitment to providing succour to distressed and stranded Nigerians.” Officials said the funds would be channelled, in collaboration with the church’s leadership in South Africa, towards evacuating 500 affected nationals.
The ongoing evacuation exercise began on June 10, 2026, following a fresh wave of attacks targeting Africans and other foreign nationals in South Africa. As of early September, 1,640 Nigerians had been brought home. The Federal Government fully funded the return of 1,385 of them, while philanthropic donations covered the remaining 255. An additional 202 Nigerians were reported to be awaiting final clearance from South African authorities.
Barbir, who has previously spoken out about killings in Nigeria’s Middle Belt region and challenged the government’s response to communal violence, framed his criticism around broader questions of church-state relations and the prioritisation of domestic Christian communities facing insecurity.
The Federal Government has continued to welcome support from private organisations, philanthropists and faith-based groups for the evacuation effort. No official response from Pastor Adeboye or the RCCG leadership to Barbir’s comments was immediately available.
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