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Nigerian televangelist Timothy Omotoso arrives at the OR Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg, May 18, 2025.
The Department of Home Affairs has confirmed that Nigerian televangelist Timothy Omotoso will not be allowed back in South Africa for the next five years.
Omatoso is currently at the OR Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg, ahead of his flight to Lagos in Nigeria this afternoon.
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The self-proclaimed pastor and founder of the Jesus Dominion International church, based in Durban, was arrested back in 2017.
He faced more than 90 charges, including rape, human trafficking, and racketeering.
Omotoso was acquitted last month on 32 serious charges by the Gqeberha High Court.
Head of Immigration and Law Enforcement for Home Affairs, Stephen van Neel says, “The systems that we used picked up that he has already been de-listed, meaning that he is not allowed to come back to the country. He had a new passport issued by the Nigerian embassy in the last few weeks and it’s on that passport that he left the country.”
He adds: “What we can further confirm is that we informed him that he should no longer come back, he is a prohibited person in terms of the Immigration Act. What that means is that he will not be allowed entry. He is de-listed under two categories, meaning the first one is that he had a fraudulent permit before, and then he overstayed for an extensive time. So therefore, Mr. Omotoso can not come back for the next five years.”
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