Chinelo Obogo
The United States embassy has denied media reports that it rejected Bishop David Oyedepo’s visa application. Reacting to the reports through its verified Twitter handle by 2pm on Friday, January 31, the embassy said reports that Oyedepo was denied US visa is false.
“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,” it tweeted.
On Thursday, January 30, there were media reports (not from The Sun) that the Lagos office of the embassy of the United States denied the founder of Faith Tabernacle in Ota, Ogun State and Living Faith Church Worldwide, otherwise known as Winners’ Chapel International, Bishop David Oyedepo, a visa.
The reports alleged that the embassy did not give any reason for denying Oyedepo visa except the standard default explanation that he did not qualify for visa renewal in its assessment and urged him to try again. The reports also alleged that Oyedepo created a scene whilst querying the grounds for his refusal.
According to the reports, Oyedepo sent for his bodyguards to get his phones so he could make some calls, but the embassy allegedly told him he could not make calls within the precincts of the visa-issuing section of the embassy.
But the Embassy categorically denied the reports, describing it as false.