The United States Embassy has denied media reports that David Oyedepo, founder of the Living Faith Church, was on Thursday was denied a visa by the Lagos office of the embassy.
The 65-year-old clergyman and his entourage were said to have been at the US embassy’s Lagos office to process the renewal of his visa.
According to ThisDay, the embassy, however, denied him the document, stating that the he did not qualify for visa renewal. He was also urged to try again later.
As the embassy didn’t give precise reasons, Oyedepo was said to have made a scene. He was said to have flared up and queried the embassy’s officials on the grounds for the denial.
A source was quoted to have said that he argued he had been traveling to the US since the 80s and had neither violated any rule nor committed any crime that prompted the denial of his visa renewal.
Oyedepo was also said to have tried contacting some persons to that effect but the embassy allegedly told him he couldn’t make calls within the confines of the visa-issuing section of the embassy.
It was gathered that the cleric was eventually given the visa — after he might have made some calls to individuals who might have intervened on his behalf.
The paper also reported that while ace comedian, Abovi Ugboma, popularly known as Bovi was issued a visa, his wife, Kris Asimonye, was denied.
However, a statement by the embassy on Friday denied the report. See tweet;
#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. pic.twitter.com/H1pDwhf9XW— U.S. Mission Nigeria (@USEmbassyAbuja) January 31, 2020
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