The Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ola Olukoyede, has disclosed a troubling revelation that a religious sect in Nigeria is actively involved in laundering money for terrorists.
This unsettling revelation emerged during the investigation of a N13 billion fraud case, where the EFCC discovered that N7 billion of the total amount was linked to a religious body’s bank account.
Addressing the public during an engagement on youth, religion, and the fight against corruption, which also marked the launch of the fraud risk assessment project for ministries, departments, and agencies, Olukoyede emphasized that various religious organizations, institutions, sects, and bodies have been found culpable of engaging in money laundering activities.
During his speech, Olukoyede stated, “A religious sect in this country had been found to be laundering money for terrorists.”
Shockingly, he also revealed that another religious body was harboring a money launderer, as funds suspected to be laundered were traced to the organization’s bank account.
Despite these disturbing findings, the EFCC faced challenges in its investigations, particularly when a religious organization swiftly obtained a restraining order to halt the probing of its leaders.
Olukoyede explained, “We were able to trace some laundered money to a religious organization, and when we approached the religious organization about it and we were carrying out our investigation, we got a restraining order stopping us from carrying out our investigation.”
Undeterred by legal obstacles, Olukoyede affirmed the EFCC’s commitment to the investigation, stating that they are currently appealing the restraining order to recover the stolen funds.
This persistence underscores the determination of the anti-graft agency to unveil and bring to justice those involved in illicit financial activities, particularly within religious entities.
The public engagement event, themed “Youth, Religion and the Fight Against Corruption,” served as a platform to address the challenges of youth involvement in cybercrimes and explore how religion can be utilized as a powerful tool for their reorientation.
Notably, the event featured the launch of the Interfaith Preaching and Teaching Manual, developed by the Interfaith Anti-Corruption Advisory Committee of the Commission.
This manual aims to serve as a resource to foster an abhorrence for corruption among adherents of Islam and Christianity.
In conjunction with this initiative, the EFCC’s Fraud Risk Assessment Prevention and Control Project for Ministries, Departments, and Agencies was also introduced during the event.
This multifaceted approach reflects the comprehensive strategy employed by the EFCC to combat corruption, safeguard financial integrity, and promote ethical practices within various sectors of society.
