The Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Olanipekun Olukoyede, has expressed concern over the number of religious leaders, including pastors and imams, whose names appear in the commission’s case files for alleged financial crimes.
Olukoyede said some of the individuals had been investigated and prosecuted, while others had been convicted and were serving prison sentences despite still being addressed by their religious titles.
The EFCC chairman spoke in Abuja at the 2026 Second Council Meeting of the Nigeria Inter-Religious Council, which was held under the theme, “Shared Sacred Flourishing in Nigeria.”
He said the situation had made him question whether religious titles should continue to be attached to individuals facing criminal allegations or convictions.
Olukoyede said, “I advocated for a review of the titles we give to men of God. Maybe, if it is possible for us to remove those titles, pastor and imam. You know why? I have my case files full of these titles.”
According to him, the commission’s files contained several cases involving individuals identified as pastors, imams and other religious leaders who had allegedly committed financial crimes.
He added that some of those prosecuted had already been convicted and were serving jail terms.
“And some of them have been convicted and they are in jail. And while in jail, they still refer to them as pastor and imam. So it is something for us to really think about,” he said.
Olukoyede argued that religious leaders should be judged more by their conduct and actions than by the titles they use or the positions they occupy.
He said people who genuinely represented the values of their faith should demonstrate those values through their actions and commitment to doing what was right.
“People who carry the spirit of God, who do the right thing. Because the spirit of God is by their fruits, not their appearance. Not what we call ourselves. It’s by the fruits,” he said.
The EFCC chairman also recalled an encounter with a suspect who appeared before the commission for investigation and introduced himself using several religious titles.
He said the suspect told him, “‘I am Reverend Dr Bishop…’”
Olukoyede said he stopped the suspect and asked him to focus on the allegations against him rather than his religious titles.
“I said, ‘Wait there, don’t bring that one here. Did you misappropriate money or not?’” he recounted.
According to the EFCC chairman, the suspect was accused of misappropriating funds and was subsequently facing five charges.
Olukoyede stressed that religious positions would not shield anyone from investigation or prosecution when involved in financial crimes.
He said, “So if you think you’re a Christian or you’re a pastor here, and you commit financial crime, I will be your enemy. I won’t be your friend.”
He therefore urged religious leaders to uphold the values they preach by maintaining integrity, accountability and transparency.
Olukoyede also warned against using religious status or titles as a means of avoiding accountability, stressing that adherence to the law should apply to everyone regardless of their position or religious standing.
