US Embassy Reacts To Bishop Oyedepo Visa Denial Report. Says It's Fake News

[Edoman]

As twitter by the mission verified twitter handler

#FalseNews Alert! Be advised, the reports making the rounds about a visa being denied to Nigerian Bishop Oyedepo are false.
If you have seen this manufactured item in the media, help defeat this #misinformation by communicating to everyone that it is completely false.

https://twitter.com/USEmbassyAbuja/status/1223227551004418048?s=19

[Edoman]

I was never denied US visa – Bishop Oyedepo







Bishop David Oyedepo, the senior pastor of the Living Faith Church Worldwide, has denied reports claiming he was refused a visa by the US Embassy.
 

Earlier today, Thisday newspaper published a report claiming the clergyman was denied a visa at the United States embassy in Lagos state.
 

However, a statement released by the Chairman of the church’s editorial and media board, Prof. Sheriff Folarin, said Oyedepo was never at the US Embassy or Consulate on Thursday and was never denied a visa. Read the statement below

Mainstream and online media spaces this morning were abuzz with the news that Bishop David Oyedepo was denied entry visa to the United States on Thursday, January 30, 2020. We wish to put it on record and categorically submit that this piece of information is NOT TRUE.

At no time was the Bishop denied visa, nor did he create a scene at the US consulate in Lagos, as purported by some mainstream and online newspapers.

The Bishop renewed his visa, last year, without any initial denial or drama, or scene. The Bishop was NOT at the Embassy or Consulate yesterday or even anytime this year. Bishop has been in Canaanland all this week. The last time he applied for visa, which was last year, he was issued without delay.

We have been in touch with the US Embassy and they are as surprised as we are about this FAKE NEWS, which some media houses decided to spread.

We encourage the Nigerian media to always tow the line of due diligence before rushing to press and try to at least reach the church from time to time, whenever items try to pass through the rumour mill.

Professionalism and wisdom require this so as to maintain integrity and make the media trusted in the society, particularly in this age that fake news has become The News.

Bishop Oyedepo is a good friend of the US government and has a very good relationship with US Embassy and Consulate in Nigeria.

He is a social entrepreneur, who has touched so many lives in Nigeria, Africa, United States and all around the world.

Prof. Sheriff F. Folarin
Chairman, Editorial and Media Board
LFCWW (Winners' Chapel Int'l)

[Edoman]

ThisDay suspends two deputy editors over Oyedepo US visa report







The management of ThisDay Newspapers Limited has suspended indefinitely two of its deputy editors, Mr. Yemi Ajayi and Mr. Olawale Olaleye, over the false report about the United States’ embassy denying Bishop David Oyedepo, senior pastor of the Living Faith Church aka Winners Chapel, visa.
 
The report which was published last Friday January 31st, claimed the 65-year-old clergyman was denied US visa and in anger, created a scene at the embassy. 
 
However, the newspaper said the deputy editors were suspended after it investigated the publication and found that they “failed to follow its well-established traditions of carrying out the necessary checks and confirmations expected of personnel of their status in a sensitive story of that nature.”
 
Oyedepo and the US embassy have both denied the report. Oyedepo in his statement said he has not visited the United States Embassy this year.
 
The newspaper has since published an apology to the cleric for the embarrassment the story might have caused him.