Claims: A video on social media platforms, particularly WhatsApp and TikTok, portrays King Charles allegedly unveiling a portrait of Pastor Enoch Adeboye, General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) and labeling him “419 tithe collector.”
Full text: During the alleged unveiling of Pastor Adeboye as a “419 tithe collector” the portrait which towered above King Charles and onlookers had the GO’s photo with the inscriptions clearly written as the British Monarch pulled the string which revealed it and the audience applauded.
The Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) is a prominent Pentecostal megachurch headquartered in Lagos, Nigeria, led by General Overseer Enoch Adeboye since 1981. In 2022, the church averaged 50,000 attendees.
Unrelated to the church, is the figure “419” which refers to Nigeria’s criminal code for advance fee fraud, a common confidence trick where scammers promise large sums in exchange for upfront payments, then disappear or demand more fees.
Verification: PRNigeria‘s fact-check team used keyframe extraction and reverse image search to verify the video’s authenticity.
The results showed that the 10-second video was first shared on TikTok on May 14, 2024.
More investigation revealed that the original video featured King Charles III unveiling his official portrait on May 14, 2024, at an official ceremony covered by international media outlets like CNN, New York Post, and AP.
Meanwhile, PRNigeria‘s fact-check findings revealed that the video’s creator has a history of manipulating footage to defame religious leaders, including General Overseers. He used the same tactic to deceive viewers with manipulated videos of David Olaniyi Oyedepo, founder of Living Faith Church Worldwide.
The same footage was used by replacing the king’s image with those of other religious leaders, including David Olaniyi Oyedepo and a Ugandan Pastor, as seen here and here among others.
Conclusion: findings by PRNigeria reveals that the original video featured King Charles III unveiling his official portrait on May 14, 2024, at an official ceremony since his inauguration and not that of Pastor Adeboye.
PRNigeria fact-check team therefore concludes that the video footage claiming that King Charles unveiled Adeboye as a “419 tithe collector” was manipulated and is false!
