NEWS
“This Is an Act of Slavery” — US Missionary Alex Barbir Blasts Pastor Adeboye Over RCCG’s $265,854 Donation For Evacuation Of Nigerians From South Africa
A United States-based missionary and humanitarian worker, Alex Barbir, has criticised the founder of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), Pastor Enoch Adeboye, over the church’s financial support for the evacuation of Nigerians stranded in South Africa amid reports of xenophobic attacks.
Barbir condemned the decision by the RCCG to donate funds towards the repatriation exercise, questioning why a Christian organisation should provide financial assistance for an operation being coordinated by the Federal Government under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration.
The RCCG reportedly donated $265,854 to facilitate the evacuation of 500 Nigerians who had expressed their willingness to return to Nigeria following xenophobic attacks and difficult conditions in South Africa.
The donation was acknowledged by the Federal Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which commended the church for its intervention and described the gesture as “an act of compassion and solidarity” towards Nigerians facing hardship outside the country.
According to the ministry, the funds would be used to provide one-way flight tickets for 500 Nigerians seeking to leave South Africa and return home.
The intervention comes as concerns over the safety and welfare of Nigerians living in South Africa continue to attract attention, particularly amid reports of attacks and hostility directed at foreign nationals in some communities.
However, Barbir took a sharply different view of the church’s involvement, arguing that the responsibility for protecting and evacuating Nigerian citizens abroad should primarily rest with the government.
The missionary also questioned the broader role of Christian leaders in supporting government-led humanitarian interventions, particularly against the backdrop of security challenges confronting Nigerians at home.
He argued that while the RCCG had committed a substantial amount of money to assist Nigerians affected by xenophobic attacks in South Africa, Christians and other Nigerians in parts of the country continue to face insecurity, killings and attacks.
“This is an act of slavery,” Barbir, a humanitarian worker, said.
His comments have added a new dimension to the public discussion surrounding the RCCG’s donation, with the intervention attracting both commendation and criticism.
While the Federal Government viewed the donation as a significant humanitarian gesture that would help stranded Nigerians return home safely, Barbir questioned the appropriateness of a church funding an exercise that falls within the responsibilities of the government.
Barbir has previously been outspoken on security-related issues in Nigeria, particularly concerning reported killings and attacks in communities across the Middle Belt.
It’s reported that the US missionary has repeatedly challenged the government over its response to violence and insecurity affecting vulnerable communities, making the RCCG donation his latest subject of criticism.