Reported by Weng Patrick Atokor l Journalist at Weng Global
The Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ola Olukoyede, has urged pastors, imams and other religious leaders in Nigeria to use their pulpits and places of worship to promote integrity and discourage corruption.
Olukoyede made the call on Wednesday, September 23, 2026, during the 2026 Second Council Meeting of the Nigeria Inter-Religious Council (NIREC) in Abuja, held under the theme, “Shared Sacred Flourishing in Nigeria.”
The EFCC chairman said religious institutions have an important role to play in preventing corruption because of their influence over the values and behaviour of millions of Nigerians.
He argued that while law-enforcement agencies can investigate and prosecute financial crimes, religious institutions can help address the moral attitudes that may contribute to corrupt practices.
“The EFCC can investigate a person’s conduct. Faith communities can influence that person’s character.”
Olukoyede said religious leaders should therefore make anti-corruption messages part of their regular preaching and teaching, while also demonstrating the principles of honesty and accountability in their own conduct.
EFCC Highlights Role of Religious Institutions
According to Olukoyede, corruption should not be treated only as a legal or enforcement issue because its consequences affect ordinary Nigerians and public services.
He said the effects of corruption can extend to areas including healthcare, education, infrastructure, pensions and economic opportunities.
The EFCC chairman called on churches and mosques to help create a culture in which people question unexplained wealth rather than automatically celebrating it.
He also said religious communities should not provide what he described as “moral shelter” for individuals accused of corruption simply because they belong to a particular faith community.
The remarks form part of a broader emphasis by the EFCC on prevention and public engagement in the fight against economic and financial crimes.
The commission has previously identified religious institutions as potential partners in anti-corruption education. Its earlier inter-faith initiatives included the development of anti-corruption preaching and teaching materials for faith-based organisations.
Warning Over Religious Funds
Olukoyede also warned religious leaders against mixing institutional funds with personal finances.
He said money received by churches and mosques, including tithes, offerings and zakat, should be kept in the appropriate organisational accounts and used for the purposes for which the funds were contributed.
The EFCC chairman described diverting such funds into private businesses as criminal and encouraged religious organisations to establish clear compliance and financial-control mechanisms.
He clarified that religious leaders who operate legitimate private businesses are not prohibited from doing so, but said personal finances should be kept separate from money belonging to religious organisations.
The distinction is particularly important for religious organisations because financial transparency and proper record-keeping can help reduce the risk of funds being misused or becoming vulnerable to financial crime.
Olukoyede Raises Concern Over Religious Titles
At the same NIREC meeting, Olukoyede disclosed that the EFCC’s case files contain investigations involving people identified as pastors, imams and other religious figures.
He said some individuals bearing such titles had been investigated or prosecuted for financial crimes, with some convicted and serving prison sentences.
Olukoyede questioned whether religious titles should influence how individuals suspected of financial crimes are treated, arguing that conduct should ultimately determine a person’s standing.
He recounted an encounter with a suspect who allegedly introduced himself to him using several religious titles before the EFCC chairman asked whether the individual had misappropriated money.
The EFCC chairman’s broader message was that religious status does not provide immunity from investigation or prosecution where there is evidence of financial crime.
A Continuing EFCC Focus
Olukoyede’s latest appeal is consistent with his previous calls for religious institutions to participate more actively in corruption prevention.
In April 2026, he said several pastors and imams had been investigated or convicted in financial-crime cases and argued that religious institutions should promote integrity rather than merely preach against wrongdoing.
The EFCC has also previously pursued an inter-faith approach to corruption prevention. In its published materials, the commission has described engagement with faith-based organisations as part of efforts to promote integrity and behavioural change.
This approach reflects a distinction between punishing corruption after it occurs and preventing corrupt behaviour before it begins.
For the EFCC, religious leaders can contribute to the preventive side by shaping attitudes towards honesty, accountability and the sources of wealth.
Why the Message Matters
Religious institutions occupy a significant position in Nigerian society, giving pastors, imams and other faith leaders access to large communities through weekly services, sermons, religious education and community activities.
That influence means anti-corruption messages from religious leaders could potentially complement formal enforcement efforts.
However, Olukoyede’s comments also underline the importance of accountability within religious organisations themselves.
Where religious institutions receive donations, offerings, zakat or other funds, transparent financial management can help demonstrate that the values preached publicly are also reflected in institutional practices.
The EFCC’s position is that enforcement and moral education should work together: investigators and prosecutors deal with financial crimes under the law, while communities and institutions help establish social values that discourage such conduct.
What Happens Next
The EFCC is expected to continue engaging religious and other civil-society institutions as part of its preventive and public-enlightenment activities.
Religious leaders, meanwhile, face a dual responsibility highlighted by Olukoyede’s remarks: to teach their followers against corruption and to ensure that their own institutions maintain appropriate standards of financial accountability.
The wider anti-corruption challenge will ultimately require more than investigations and prosecutions. It will also involve how Nigerian institutions, communities and individuals understand integrity, public responsibility and the legitimate sources of wealth.
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