The Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Mr Ola Olukoyede, has disclosed that the commission has uncovered how a religious sect in Nigeria is laundering money for terrorists.
The EFCC boss 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.
Olukoyede spoke on Wednesday 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 (MDAs) at the Shehu Musa Yar’Adua Centre, Abuja.
He added that the EFCC was investigating a N13bn fraud case when it discovered that N7bn out of the N13bn was linked to a religious body’s bank account.
According to Olukoyede, it is regrettable that religious organisations, institutions, sects, and bodies have been found culpable of money laundering.
He said, “A religious sect in this country had been found to be laundering money for terrorists.”
He, however, disclosed that the religious organisation quickly obtained a restraining court order to prevent the EFCC from probing its leaders.
He said, “We were able to trace some laundered money to a religious organisation, and when we approached the religious organisation about it and we were carrying out our investigation, we got a restraining order stopping us from carrying out our investigation.”
Olukoyede also said the commission will not give up on the investigation, saying that the commission has appealed against the restraining order to recover the stolen funds.
He further revealed that since he assumed office as the Chairman of the EFCC about three months ago, the commission has secured 747 convictions, saying that most of them were for Internet-related offences.
It is instructive to note that the one-day event is aimed at addressing the challenges of youth involvement in cybercrimes and how religion could be used as a weapon for their reorientation.
The theme of the event is titled: “Youth, Religion and the Fight Against Corruption,” and featured the launch of the Interfaith Preaching and Teaching Manual developed by the Interfaith Anti-Corruption Advisory Committee of the Commission as a resource to promote abhorrence for corruption among adherents of Islam and Christianity.
The EFCC’s Fraud Risk Assessment Prevention and Control Project for Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) was also launched during the event in Abuja.
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