Pastor Oyakhilome’s Channel fined N65.6m by UK agency over COVID-19 misinformation

The Office of Communications in the United Kingdom (OFCOM), has sanctioned religious channel, Loveworld, owned by Nigerian Pastor, Chris Oyakhilome.

Ofcom said in a statement that the station was fined £125,000 (N65.6m) for breaching the country’s broadcasting code by disseminating misinformation on COVID-19.

“Today we have fined Loveworld £125,000 for this breach of the broadcasting code. This was the second time in a year that the broadcaster breached our rules on accuracy in news and harm in its coverage of the coronavirus.

On December 1 2020, Loveworld aired a 29-hour programme called the Global Day of Prayer, during which claims were made about the COVID-19.

According to the agency, these claims included the notion that the outbreak was ‘planned’, that the ‘sinister’ vaccine can be used to implant ‘nanochips’ that can control and cause harm to members of the public and the debunked theory that the virus was somehow caused by 5G.

The agency said it was unfortunate that the station could continue to spread such information despite previous warnings. 

Oyakhilome, who heads Christ Embassy church headquartered in Lagos, has in the last one year encouraged his members to ignore COVID-19 protocols. He recently asked his members not to take COVID-19 vaccines.