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A religious organization has been recently discovered by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for engaging in money laundering for terrorists.
EFCC Chairman, Ola Olukoyede, gave the shocking revelation while speaking at a dialogue on 'Youth, Religion, and the Fight against Corruption' in Abuja on Wednesday.
Olukoyede disclosed another instance where N7 billion in fraud proceeds was traced to a different religious organization.
During the event, he stressed that the EFCC has identified religious organizations, institutions, sects, and bodies involved in money laundering activities within the country. He cited a case where one religious body took the Commission to court to shield its leader after laundered money was discovered in the organization's bank account.
Although Olukoyede did not disclose the names of the implicated religious organizations, he expressed the EFCC's determination to recover stolen funds. He recounted the challenges faced by the Commission in tackling corruption cases involving religious leaders and traditional rulers.
"It is so sad that as I stand before the eminent audience today, our experience in fighting corruption has to do with the religious leaders and even traditional rulers," remarked Olukoyede.
He went on to provide specific details about a case involving over N30 billion fraudulently obtained from Nigeria, with N7 billion traced to a particular religious body.
According to the EFCC Chairman, upon sending a letter to the leader of the religious body, the EFCC faced a restraining order, preventing them from inviting or prosecuting the individuals involved and impeding the recovery of the embezzled funds.
"We will not give up on recovering the stolen funds," asserted Olukoyede, underscoring the agency's commitment to pursuing justice in cases of corruption, even when faced with legal challenges from implicated parties.
