Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ola Olukoyede, has raised concerns about alleged corruption within religious organisations in Nigeria, suggesting it sometimes exceeds that found in public offices.
Olukoyede stated this at a leadership conference hosted by the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) in Lagos, where the EFCC boss revealed that the agency recently recovered significant sums of money from one such organisation.
“In just the past week, we have recovered many millions from a religious organisation,” Olukoyede disclosed.
He criticised religious leaders for focusing on others’ faults while overlooking their own. “You point out the speck in someone else’s eye while ignoring the log in yours,” he remarked, urging clerics to uphold integrity and transparency in their conduct.
Olukoyede also denounced some pastors for living lavishly without transparent sources of income.
“Upon becoming a pastor, suddenly you become a big man. Yet, it’s unclear how you earn a legitimate living beyond the ministry and church funds,” he asserted.
He emphasised the importance of religious leaders not only preaching but also embodying ethical behavior for their congregations. These remarks follow his earlier revelation in January about a religious sect involved in money laundering for terrorists in Nigeria.
Olukoyede’s statements have ignited discussions on the accountability and transparency of religious institutions across Nigeria.
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