The Executive Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ola Olukoyede, has charged religious leaders across Nigeria to actively integrate anti-corruption teachings into their doctrines, emphasizing that financial crimes and moral decay cut across all faiths.
Speaking in Abuja at the second 2026 Council Meeting of the Nigeria Inter-Religious Council (NIREC), Olukoyede underscored the necessity of restoring the moral dignity of honest living. The high-profile gathering, held under the theme “Shared Sacred Flourishing in Nigeria,” featured the official launch of the Anti-Corruption Interfaith Manual for Christian and Muslim leaders.
Key Highlights from the Meeting
- Shared Vulnerability: Olukoyede stressed that financial corruption has no religious or tribal identity, noting that public infrastructure failures—such as poorly equipped hospitals or collapsed roads—affect citizens uniformly regardless of their creed.
- Character vs. Conduct: Defining the distinct roles in the anti-corruption campaign, he noted that while the EFCC investigates conduct and prosecutes fraud, faith communities hold the unique power to shape character, cultivate honesty, and prevent corruption before it begins.
- Worship of Unexplained Wealth: The anti-corruption czar strongly criticized the societal trend of honoring wealthy individuals without questioning the sources of their affluence, warning worship centers against providing moral shelter for illicit funds.
- Government Backing: Representing President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Secretary to the Government of the Federation Senator George Akume reaffirmed the administration’s commitment to securing the nation, urging faith and community leaders to speak with a unified voice against criminality, banditry, and terrorism.
The event drew prominent figures from across the nation, including the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar; the President of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Reverend Daniel Okoh; NIREC Executive Secretary Professor Cornelius Afebu Omonokhua; the Emir of Zazzau, Alhaji Ahmed Nuhu Bamalli; and the Shehu of Borno, Abubakar Umar El-Kanemi.
The newly introduced manual aims to guide religious teachers in grounding their sermons in scriptural truths that explicitly reject fraud and promote peaceful coexistence.
Religious Leaders Unite Against Corruption
This video provides visual coverage of the NIREC meeting and the official launch of the inter-faith anti-corruption manual in Abuja.
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