Pastor William Folorunsho Kumuyi, the general overseer and founder of the Deeper Life Bible Church, has relocated to London, United Kingdom.
He stated this in a viral video posted on social media during an interview with an unknown media platform in the UK.
In the interview, Pastor Kumuyi said, “Well, I’m from Nigeria, but I’m based in London, United Kingdom now. We belong to the Deeper Life Bible Church, and the Bible Church started in 1973 with 15 people, but now in Nigeria, we’re about one million in membership.”
He stated that the church has expanded to over 60 countries worldwide, with 40 branches in the UK alone.
Pastor Kumuyi’s statement sparked mixed reactions from Nigerians on social media, who criticised him for leaving Nigeria and relocating to a foreign nation.
Kumuyi’s backlash in 2023
During the post-election period in August 2023, the highly respected clergyman suffered a backlash from netizens when he charged Nigerians to back the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, who was at the time fighting for his mandate in court due to controversies about his victory at the polls and his educational history.
Kumuyi advised Nigerians to stop criticising the President’s actions, saying that if they accept his administration, God will walk through Tinubu and use him and his cabinet members as instruments to build Nigeria.
He said, “If you look at the new ministers one by one, you’ll see the good things they’ve done either as state governors of the past or as former ministers, and I would say they have been carefully chosen.
“If we support and accept them and if we are not criticising their every step, we believe that God will walk through them and use them as instruments to build our nation.”
Netizens react over Kumuyi’s relocation to UK
Many Nigerians were not pleased with his relocation to the UK and labelled him a hypocrite.
@blochief wrote, “All the prayers he asked us to pray for Nigeria actually worked for him. To God be all the glory.”
@bookaaah wrote, “After all the prayers and battles, baba still knows what is best for him.
Jesus left a place of comfort and peace and went to preach to those that were threatening to kill him.
2024: Pastors are buying private jets and zooming to paradise 😂😂😂”
Disparities over currency of Kumuyi’s footage confirming his relocation to UK
Meanwhile, some netizens disputed the currency of the video as some believed that the footage was from many years ago.
@Stephenodofin wrote, “How does the video here says he is based in uk. Moreover this video is many many years ago. I think like 10years ago.”
On Pastor Okezie with the X handle wrote, “This video of Pst WF Kumuyi stating that he is based in UK was done in 2011 and Bola Ahmed Tinubu GCFR became President in 2023 but of course being typical Myrmidons aka Ob!diots decided to attack Pastor Kumuyi who is currently in Cameroun preaching after leaving Abia state, Philippines, Dubai & now Cameroun preaching and you dev!ls are dragging him as if the interview is recent.
“Let me give you this for free! Peter Gregory Onwubuasi Obi will NEVER EVER be the President of even Agulu Improvement Union not to talk of Nigeria! Never!!!”