The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has issued a clarification regarding a statement made by its chairman, Ola Olukoyede, concerning a religious sect allegedly involved in money laundering for terrorists. The anti-graft agency emphasized that the term “religious sects” does not specifically refer to a church or mosque but rather to certain groups engaged in questionable financial activities.
In a statement titled “EFCC Clarifies Its Chairman’s Disclosures about Alleged Money Laundering by Religious Leaders,” the spokesperson, Dele Oyewale, dismissed interpretations giving sinister motives to Olukoyede’s revelation. Oyewale stated that those attempting to twist the disclosure were engaging in mischief and should be disregarded.
During a public engagement on ‘Youth, Religion, and the Fight Against Corruption,’ Olukoyede had expressed concern about the conduct of some religious sect leaders involved in money laundering. He mentioned tracing over N7 billion to a particular religious body and revealed challenges faced by the EFCC in recovering such funds.
Oyewale clarified that Olukoyede did not specify a particular church, mosque, or religious entity. He reiterated that the chairman remains focused on combating economic and financial crimes, emphasizing that the comments were unfortunately twisted with mischievous connotations.
