“It was like arresting my father”: Olukoyede recalls detaining senior RCCG pastor

The Executive Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Ola Olukoyede, has described the detention of a senior pastor of the Redeemed Christian Church of God as one of the saddest moments of his career, revealing that he wept after the arrest.

The revelation was made while addressing RCCG workers in the early hours of Saturday, November 7, 2026, ahead of the church’s annual Holy Ghost Congress, ValidViewNetwork reports.

THE REVELATION

Olukoyede, who is an ordained pastor, said the case involved a senior RCCG pastor who was accused of financial fraud.

“When they brought the case to me, I said no, not in my time. But when I saw the evidence, I had to act,” he said.

He said the pastor was detained, and he personally went to see him in custody.

“He was sitting on the floor. I looked at him and said, ‘My brother, what are we going to do? You know what you have done.’ And he said he had made a mistake,” Olukoyede recalled.

“I went back to my office and I cried. I said, ‘Lord, how can I arrest a pastor? How can I detain a pastor?’ I called the man of God, Pastor E. A. Adeboye, and I told him what happened. He said, ‘If you are sure of your facts, go ahead. Don’t cover it up.’ “He added: “That was my saddest day. But I had to do my job.”

THE WARNING

Olukoyede said the case was one of many involving church leaders and financial crime, stressing that the commission would not spare anyone who broke the law.

“We can prosecute pastors. We can prosecute ministers. We can prosecute workers. They will not be safe from the law of the land,” he said.

He also called on churches to be transparent in their financial dealings. “Somebody who gives his money to the church has the right to know what the church is doing with it. It is not enough to just collect tithes and offerings. There must be accountability,” he said.

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WHY IT MATTERS

The revelation offers a rare glimpse into the emotional and moral complexities of enforcing the law against religious figures.

Olukoyede is a Christian and an ordained pastor. He is also the head of Nigeria’s leading anti-corruption agency.

When faced with allegations against a senior church leader, he had to choose between his loyalty to the church and his duty to the law.

He chose the law. He arrested the pastor. He cried. And he did his job.The message is clear: in Olukoyede’s EFCC, no one is above the law. Not even a man of God. ValidViewNetwork reports.