Popular Lagos-based cleric, Prophet TB Joshua of The Synagogue Church of All Nations, has requested his followers to “pray for YouTube” after the platform continued to block his channel, Emmanuel TV.
YouTube blocked the channel after a UK-based organisation, OpenDemocracy, reported that it was promoting hate speech against the LGBT community.
“I want you to help me pray for YouTube,” Joshua said in his Sunday service shared on Facebook.
Emmanuel TV had more than 1.8 million subscribers and 600 million views as of the time it was shut down.
In one of his YouTube videos, watched more than 1.5 million times, a woman was seen being hit violently to “cure” her of her sexuality.
“Between 2016 and January 2020, the channel posted at least seven similar clips showing the charismatic Christian televangelist engaging in violent exorcism,” OpenDemocracy wrote.
The pastor said he had appealed the YouTube’s decision.
“We strongly oppose all forms of hate speech!” he wrote on Facebook. “We have had a long and fruitful relationship with YouTube and believe this decision was made in haste.”
Facebook also removed several videos on Joshua’s page, which has 5.6 million followers.
Many, including tens of thousands of his followers, have criticised the move by YouTube.
Meanwhile, the cleric has opened a new YouTube page which gained 27,000 subscribers in 24 hours.
