Pastor, Imam No Be Immunity: EFCC Warns Religious Leaders Over Financial Crimes

Religious titles don enter fresh gbege as EFCC Chairman Olanipekun Olukoyede warn say pastor, imam, bishop, reverend or any other religious title no fit protect anybody wey allegedly commit financial crimes. Speaking at the 2026 Second Council Meeting of the Nigeria Inter-Religious Council (NIREC) for Abuja, Olukoyede said EFCC case files contain plenty people identified with religious titles, including some wey don already face conviction and dey serve prison terms.

The EFCC boss also questioned why people convicted and imprisoned for financial offences still dey receive religious titles as if nothing happen. According to him, the issue should make Nigerians look beyond appearance and titles and judge religious leaders by their conduct, integrity and the values they demonstrate.

EFCC Says Religious Titles No Fit Stop Investigation

Olukoyede said the commission’s case files contain suspects described as pastors, imams and other religious figures who have been investigated and prosecuted for financial offences. He added that some have been convicted and sent to prison, stressing that religious status cannot become a shield against accountability.

The EFCC chairman even narrated an encounter with a suspect who reportedly introduced himself with several religious titles when he appeared before the commission. Olukoyede said he refused to allow the titles to distract from the allegation being investigated. In simple OGM Pidgin: if money matter enter case file, title no go magically close the file.

EFCC Wants Churches and Mosques to Join Anti-Corruption Fight

The warning came as EFCC used the NIREC meeting to push religious institutions deeper into Nigeria’s anti-corruption campaign. The commission launched an Anti-Corruption Interfaith Manual aimed at helping Christian and Muslim religious leaders address corruption through preaching, teaching and moral guidance. Olukoyede said faith communities could influence character and behaviour before cases reach the stage of investigation and prosecution.

The wider discussion also touched on financial accountability within religious institutions. Reports from the meeting said NIREC officials called for stronger action against clerics who allegedly use religious platforms to extort politicians or turn places of worship into avenues for political and financial interests. These remain allegations and calls for enforcement, not findings that apply to religious leaders generally.

The EFCC’s latest warning is therefore less about banning religious titles and more about making one point clear: titles cannot replace accountability. Olukoyede’s remarks come after he previously disclosed in April 2026 that some religious leaders had been detained or convicted over alleged fraudulent practices.

For OGM News Pidgin, the message from the NIREC meeting be straightforward: religious titles fit command respect inside a place of worship, but when financial crime allegation enter government investigation, na evidence, law and due process suppose determine the next step—not title. As the EFCC continues its anti-corruption campaign, Nigerians go watch whether religious institutions fit turn this warning into stronger internal accountability and cleaner financial practices.