EFCC Flags Religious Leaders Over Financial Crimes

​Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) Chairman Ola Olukoyede has raised serious concerns over the growing involvement of religious leaders in financial malfeasance, revealing that numerous pastors, imams, bishops, and sheikhs have been investigated, prosecuted, and convicted.

​Speaking in Abuja at the 2026 Second Council Meeting of the Nigeria Inter-Religious Council (NIREC), themed “Shared Sacred Flourishing in Nigeria,” Olukoyede disclosed that case files at the anti-graft agency are frequently populated by suspects bearing religious titles, some of whom are currently serving prison sentences.

​The EFCC boss expressed dismay that convicts often retain their religious titles even while incarcerated. Consequently, he advocated for a comprehensive review of how religious titles are conferred, suggesting that stripping convicted individuals of titles such as pastor, imam, bishop, or sheikh could prevent them from being used as a shield against public accountability.

ADVERTISEMENT

​Recounting a recent encounter, Olukoyede described a suspect who walked into the commission and attempted to evade scrutiny by demanding an audience while reeling off grand religious titles. He reiterated that the agency remains unfazed by such designations, emphasizing that financial crime is entirely blind to religious or ethnic affiliations.

​Olukoyede further challenged religious institutions to reevaluate their practices, particularly the trend of celebrating wealth without questioning its source. He cautioned faith communities against offering moral shelter or legitimizing proceeds of crime, noting that while the EFCC’s mandate is to investigate and prosecute, true reform requires religious leaders to actively cultivate character, integrity, and honesty within society.