The head of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ola Olukoyede, disclosed on Wednesday that the anti-corruption agency has uncovered a money laundering operation involving a religious sect in Nigeria with ties to terrorists.
During a public engagement focused on youth, religion, and the battle against corruption, as well as the launch of the fraud risk assessment project for ministries, departments, and agencies, Olukoyede revealed that the EFCC, while investigating a N13 billion fraud case, discovered that N7 billion of the total amount was traced to the bank account of a religious organization.
Olukoyede emphasized that various religious bodies, institutions, sects, and organizations have been implicated in money laundering activities. He further explained that one of the religious organizations promptly obtained a restraining order to prevent the EFCC from investigating its leaders.
Undeterred by this legal obstacle, the EFCC Chairman affirmed the agency’s commitment to the ongoing investigation and disclosed that they are actively appealing the restraining order to facilitate the recovery of the embezzled funds.
The one-day event, themed “Youth, Religion and the Fight Against Corruption,” addressed the challenges of youth involvement in cybercrimes and explored the potential role of religion in reorienting them. As part of the initiative, the Interfaith Preaching and Teaching Manual, developed by the Interfaith Anti-Corruption Advisory Committee of the Commission, was launched to serve as a resource promoting a strong stance against corruption among followers of Islam and Christianity.
Additionally, the EFCC’s Fraud Risk Assessment Prevention and Control Project for Ministries, Departments, and Agencies was inaugurated during the event to enhance measures against fraudulent activities in government entities.
