Friday, September 25, 2026 - The head of the EFCC, Olanipekun Olukoyede, says he is deeply worried about the rising number of pastors, imams, and other religious leaders involved in financial crimes.
Speaking at a meeting with the Nigeria Inter-Religious
Council in Abuja, Olukoyede revealed that many religious leaders are currently
under investigation, while several others have already been convicted and are
serving prison time.
He questioned why people accused of fraud are still allowed
to hide behind sacred titles.
In fact, he suggested that it might be time to stop calling
people "pastor" or "imam" altogether when they commit
crimes, noting that even while in jail, many still hold onto these names.
He recalled a specific suspect who tried to use titles like
"Reverend Dr. Bishop" to impress him, only for him to cut the man off
and demand to know if he stole the money.
That suspect ended up facing five criminal charges
Olukoyede urged religious leaders to live up to what they
preach, emphasizing that true faith is shown through good character and
honesty, not big titles.
He made it clear that being a religious figure will not
protect anyone from the law, warning that the EFCC will treat anyone who steals
public or private money as an enemy, regardless of their faith.
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