A controversial 2005 crusade in Nigeria involving American evangelist Benny Hinn and the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), Pastor Enoch Adejare Adeboye, remains one of the more memorable episodes in the history of Nigeria’s large-scale Christian gatherings.
The controversy centred not only on money and attendance but also on how Adeboye, whose church campground hosted the event, said he was treated during the three-day programme.
In April 2005, Benny Hinn came to Nigeria for a major healing crusade organised with Nigerian Christian leaders. The event, which began on April 28, was held at the RCCG’s Redemption Camp along the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway. Contemporary accounts said Hinn’s ministry had invested about $4 million in the programme, while organisers had reportedly anticipated an attendance running into millions.
But the turnout reportedly fell significantly below expectations. On the final day, Hinn expressed his frustration from the podium, reportedly declaring: “Four million dollars down the drain!” The remark immediately generated controversy and raised questions about how the money had been spent and what had gone wrong with the organisation of the crusade.
Adeboye’s Side of the Story
Pastor Adeboye subsequently distanced himself from the financial controversy.
According to reports attributed to the Daily Sun and reproduced in later references, Adeboye said the RCCG had provided its campground and facilities for the crusade free of charge. He maintained that he neither collected naira nor dollars from the organisers and said he had no knowledge of the alleged $4 million expenditure.
But beyond the money, Adeboye reportedly took issue with the way he and his wife, Pastor Foluke Adeboye, were treated during the three-day programme.
As the host of the venue, Adeboye expected what he considered basic courtesy. According to the account attributed to him, he attended the crusade but was not invited to address the congregation.
The episode became even more striking on the final day.
Hinn reportedly called Adeboye onto the stage and, according to the contemporary account, said:
“I don’t know your name, but they say your name is Bro. Enoch, come let me pray for you.”
For Adeboye, the incident was embarrassing, particularly because he regarded himself as the host who had made the expansive RCCG facility available for the programme without charge.
What Happened to the $4 Million?
The financial controversy produced competing accounts.
Bishop Joseph Olarenwaju Obembe, who coordinated the crusade, reportedly disputed Hinn’s claim that $4 million had effectively gone into the Nigerian event. One account placed local expenditure at approximately $1 million, while Hinn’s team reportedly gave a different breakdown involving major spending on accommodation and technical infrastructure.
Another source noted that Hinn’s Nigerian collaborators had promised to mobilise approximately six million people, while the actual attendance was substantially lower. Academic research published later also documented the controversy and quoted the famous “$4 million down the drain” declaration.
The situation was further complicated by reports that pastors attending a ministers’ conference connected with the crusade were charged ₦1,000 each. Hinn reportedly objected to the charge, apparently believing that such costs were inconsistent with the arrangements surrounding the programme.
There were also reports of disagreements among Nigerian Christian leaders involved in the organisation, with accusations and counter-accusations about mobilisation and participation.
A Remarkable Twist Years Later
Interestingly, Benny Hinn later spoke about the 2005 Nigerian crusade in a 2016 interview with Sunday Vanguard. Rather than revisiting the controversy in detail, Hinn said he remembered that a lot of money had been spent but that the expected crowd did not come.
He acknowledged that the Lagos experience had been difficult and said he had heard differing explanations for why the promotion and mobilisation had failed.
The episode therefore remains more complicated than a simple story of one preacher embarrassing another. It was a clash involving expectations, money, organisation, crowd mobilisation, protocol and the rapidly expanding influence of Nigerian Pentecostal Christianity.
For many Nigerians who remember the controversy, however, one line remains unforgettable:
“I don’t know your name, but they say your name is Bro. Enoch…”
And that single statement became the enduring symbol of a three-day crusade that was supposed to be remembered for miracles—but ended up being remembered just as much for the controversy surrounding it.
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