The Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ola Olukoyede, has revealed that the anti-graft agency uncovered how a religious sect in Nigeria is laundering money for terrorists.
This was made known by Olukoyede during a one-day dialogue on ‘Youth, Religion and the Fight against Corruption’, on Wednesday, January 30, 2024, at the Musa Yar’Adua Centre, Abuja.
Speaking during a public engagement on youth, religion, and the fight against corruption, as well as the launch of the fraud risk assessment project for ministries, departments, and agencies, Olukoyede stated that the EFCC was investigating a N13 billion fraud case when it discovered that N7 billion of the N13 billion was linked to a religious body’s bank account.
Olukoyede also revealed that another religious body was found to be protecting a money launderer after some money suspected to have been laundered was traced to the organisation’s bank account.
Religious bodies, organizations guilty of money laundering
The EFCC boss pointed out that religious organisations, institutions, sects, and bodies, have been found culpable of money laundering.
- Olukoyede said, “A religious sect in this country had been found to be laundering money for terrorists.
- “We were able to trace some laundered money to a religious organisation, and when we apporached the religious organisation about it and we were carrying out our investigation, we got a restraining order stopping us from carrying out our investigation.”
EFCC won’t succumb to pressure
Olukoyede vowed that the agency won’t succumb to pressure from various quarters, adding that the EFCC would block and prosecute those culpable in the terrorism financing in line with the laws of the land.
- He said, “We will not give up on recovering the stolen funds. It is so sad that as I stand before the eminent audience today, that our experience in fighting corruption has to do with the religious leaders and even traditional rulers.
- “As I stand before you there is a matter we are handling of over 30 billion fleeced from Nigeria, and we were able to trace N7 billion to a particular religious body. As we wrote a letter to the leader, the next thing we saw was a restraining order, stopping us from inviting them, stopping us from recovering the money.”
According to him, the EFCC had appealed the restraining order against the commission and other critical steps to strengthen the fight have been put in place to win the fight against those who he described as “enemies of Nigeria”
He also revealed that since he assumed office about three months ago, the anti-graft commission had secured 747 convictions, but over 60 per cent of the convictions were cybercrime cases.
- He added. “To our faith leaders, my appeal is that those who lead our society from churches and mosques should develop messages that glorify industry, hard work, probity and contentment over riches, irrespective of how it was made.
- “We all must stand up and be counted in the efforts to reset the mentality of our youths that the fast lane to affluence is fraud. Aside from our commitment to using faith to tackle corruption in various levels of society.
- “We have also developed a remarkable tool which we intend to deploy to prevent corruption in our Ministries, Department and Agencies.’’