The Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ola Olukoyede, has revealed how the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), Pastor Enoch Adeboye, directed the church to refund billions of naira traced to it as suspected proceeds of crime.
Olukoyede disclosed this on Saturday while speaking at a public event on corruption and the church, where he raised concerns over the alleged use of religious institutions by wealthy individuals and politicians to conceal illicit funds. According to the EFCC chairman, investigations by the commission uncovered instances where some wealthy Nigerians and politicians allegedly used churches to channel or conceal money suspected to have been obtained through illegal activities.
He said the commission discovered some of the funds in the RCCG and subsequently wrote to Adeboye to inform him of its findings. Olukoyede said the cleric’s response was immediate, as he neither attempted to defend the donors nor challenged the commission’s findings. Instead, he reportedly instructed church officials to return the money.
Quoting the RCCG leader, the EFCC chairman said Adeboye simply told his officials: “Return the money.” He added that the cleric insisted that the church would not retain any funds suspected to have been obtained through illicit means.
“He said, if the money is not clean, the church will not keep it. He said, return it. Let the government do what it wants with it,” Olukoyede recounted.
The EFCC chairman said the church complied with the directive and returned the funds to the commission, disclosing that the amount involved ran into billions of naira. Olukoyede cited the incident as an example of the responsibility expected of religious institutions in preventing the use of their platforms to legitimise or conceal proceeds of crime.
He stressed the need for churches and other religious organisations to exercise due diligence in accepting donations, irrespective of the financial standing, political influence, or social status of the individual.
