*Questions The Righteousness Of Clerics Who Celebrate Unexplained Wealth
*Charges Them To Look For Jobs, Vocations So As Not To Tamper With Religious Funds
From the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) came a clear warning to the nation’s religious leaders: Do not divert tithes, offerings, zakat, and similar finance to your personal business/use.
It is a crime, said EFCC Chairman, Mr. Ola Olukoyede.
He cleared the air on the controversial matter yesterday, suggesting that the anti-graft agency will be compelled to apply the law on offenders.
Olukoyede spoke in Abuja at the 2026 Second Council Meeting of the Nigeria Inter-Religious Council (NIREC).
The issue of diverting religious funds into personal businesses of many clerics has routinely sparked much contention among adherents who witness the businesses such as expensive schools, hospitals, universities, factories and others which the clerics own, with funds generated from churches, mosques and similar umbrella religious organizations.
“When money is paid to your organisation, don’t divert it to your business. That’s criminal and some of our adherents and followers see some of these things we do,” he chided them.
Olukoyede advised churches and mosques to create regulatory compliance mechanisms to protect funds entrusted to them.
‘You Must Lead By Example’
He emphasised that religious leaders must lead by example in the fight against corruption because their followers often emulate their conduct.
“When the followers know that there is no difference between the money that is meant to propagate the faith that you stand for and your own personal resources, you miss everything together. You are not supposed to mingle in.”
Charging them to look for jobs or vocations to do so as to raise personal and family sustenance funds rather than dip hands criminally into religious funds, the EFCC boss said such move is the right thing to do, to avoid corruption.
He declared: “That’s nothing that says you can’t do any other vocation. You sell cars, you are a farmer and all of that.
“Don’t mix the money from the purse of your organisation with that of your own personal money. Don’t do that.”
The Chairman noted that religious institutions had an extraordinary responsibility because while EFCC could investigate, conduct and prosecute fraud, faith communities could influence character and cultivate honesty to prevent crime.
Warns Against Celebrating Unexplained Wealth
He also criticised worship centres that celebrate unexplained wealth.
“A public servant says he has built a mosque that is worth more than his earnings in the next 500 years. And you go there to dedicate it. You are dedicating the proceeds of crime,” he said.
*PHOTO CAPTION: Olukoyede.
