The chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Olanipekun Olukoyede, on Wednesday, September 23, raised concerns over the number of religious leaders being investigated and prosecuted for financial crimes.
Speaking at the 2026 Second Council Meeting of the Nigeria Inter-Religious Council (NIREC) in Abuja, Olukoyede said EFCC case files contained numerous cases involving people identified as pastors, imams and other religious leaders.
He noted that some of those accused had already been convicted and were serving prison sentences.
Olukoyede said the situation had made him question whether religious titles should continue to be used as identifiers when individuals are accused of criminal conduct.
“I advocated for a review of the titles we give to men of God.
“Maybe, if it is possible for us to remove those titles, pastor and imam. You know why? I have my case files full of these titles,” Olukoyede said.
He explained that the commission’s files contained cases involving “pastor so-so-so” and “imam so-so-so” who had been indicted for financial crimes.
“And some of them have been convicted and they are in jail.
“And while in jail, they still refer to them as pastor and imam.
“So it is something for us to really think about,” he said.
Olukoyede said religious leaders should be judged by their conduct and commitment to doing what is right rather than by the titles they carry.
“People who carry the spirit of God, who do the right thing.
“Because the spirit of God is by their fruits, not their appearance. Not what we call ourselves. It’s by the fruits,” he said.
He also recalled an encounter with a suspect who was brought to the EFCC for investigation and introduced himself using several religious titles.
Olukoyede warned that religious positions would not protect anyone from investigation or prosecution over financial crimes.
“So if you think you’re a Christian or you’re a pastor here, and you commit financial crime, I will be your enemy. I won’t be your friend,” Olukoyede said.
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