Ola Olukoyede, Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), has claimed that some religious organizations in Nigeria are “more corrupt” than public offices.
Speaking at a leadership conference organized by the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) in Lagos on Friday, Olukoyede urged pastors to use their platforms to not only preach but also demonstrate good character to their congregations.
According Daily Trust, the EFCC boss criticized religious leaders for pointing fingers at others while ignoring their own misconduct.
He stated, “Just this last week, I have had cause to recover how many millions from a religious organization. They appointed you a pastor, and that is when you become a big man. We don’t even know what you are doing to earn a legitimate living. You live on the ministry and the church or mosque money. You can’t even explain the source of your wealth. Some religious organizations are more corrupt than public offices. I have evidence towards that. You look at the speckle in someone else’s eyes, but meanwhile, there is a log in yours.”
This assertion comes six months after Olukoyede revealed that the EFCC had uncovered a religious sect laundering money for terrorists in Nigeria.
During a one-day dialogue in Abuja themed “Youth, Religion, and the Fight against Corruption,” Olukoyede explained, “A religious sect in this country had been found to be laundering money for terrorists. We were able to trace some laundered money to a religious organization. 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.”
