The Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ola Olukoyede, has cautioned pastors, ministers and workers of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) against bribery, corruption and financial misconduct, warning that religious positions do not place anyone above the law.
Olukoyede, who is also a pastor in the RCCG, made the declaration while addressing ministers and workers of the church on Saturday on the subject of ethical standards and corruption in Christian communities, with the permission of the General Overseer, Pastor Enoch Adeboye.
During the address, he disclosed that Adeboye once ordered the return of funds traced to some RCCG projects and accounts from an individual under investigation for financial crimes, directing that the money be returned within 24 hours.
According to Olukoyede, the individual was being investigated over financial transactions involving tens of billions of naira when investigators discovered that some of the funds had been traced to church projects.
He said he suggested that the findings be presented to Adeboye, who reportedly became visibly displeased after receiving the information and immediately summoned some pastors.
The General Overseer, he said, instructed them to ensure that all the funds traced to the church from the individual were returned within 24 hours.
Although the officials encountered difficulties in arranging the refund within the stipulated period, Olukoyede said the money was eventually returned to government coffers.
He cited the incident as an example of the accountability expected from religious institutions, insisting that churches must not retain money suspected to be proceeds of crime.
The EFCC chairman also warned against the practice of offering money to secure ordination, ministerial appointments and promotions within the church, describing it as bribery and criminal abuse of office.
He maintained that both those who offer financial inducements and those who accept them are culpable, urging church members to reject attempts to manipulate leadership and promotion processes through monetary payments.
“Offering money for ordination and for promotion is not acceptable. Those who receive and those who give are under the conscience of the Almighty God,” he said.
Olukoyede further expressed concern over alleged manipulation of procurement and contract-award processes involving some church members.
He disclosed that he had received petitions concerning alleged irregularities in contract processes involving members of the mission, warning that such conduct must stop.
According to him, Christians occupying positions in government, private organisations and other institutions must demonstrate integrity and serve as good ambassadors of their faith.
He said it was contradictory for Christians to condemn corruption in government while engaging in similar practices within their own religious institutions.
The EFCC chairman also revealed that one of the most difficult experiences in his career was having to order the detention of a senior RCCG pastor over alleged financial misconduct connected to the pastor’s secular workplace.
He clarified that the matter did not concern the pastor’s activities within the church but arose from alleged wrongdoing in his professional engagement outside the religious institution.
Olukoyede identified excessive materialism and the love of money as major factors contributing to institutional corruption within Christian communities.
He also recounted an investigation involving another major Christian denomination, where members reportedly lost billions of naira to an alleged investment scheme that promised returns of 40 per cent monthly.
He said the EFCC investigated the scheme and moved towards prosecution, warning religious leaders against defending or shielding individuals suspected of financial crimes.
Olukoyede stressed that pastors, ministers and church workers were not immune from investigation and prosecution where evidence of financial crimes existed.
“We can prosecute pastors. We can prosecute ministers. We can prosecute workers. They will not be safe from the law of the land,” he declared.
He commended the RCCG leadership for introducing financial rules and regulations to guide its administrative and financial processes, but stressed that internal church regulations must operate alongside the laws of the country.
According to him, churches are not only spiritual institutions but also legal entities required to comply with statutory provisions governing their financial and administrative activities.
He urged RCCG members to uphold transparency, accountability and righteousness, warning that corruption within religious institutions damages the credibility of Christianity and weakens the moral authority of believers to condemn wrongdoing in society.
Olukoyede said the church could become a model for other institutions if its leaders and members remained committed to ethical conduct and rejected corruption in all its forms.
