The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has warned religious leaders against diverting tithes, offerings, zakat and other funds belonging to religious organisations into private businesses.
The EFCC Chairman, Ola Olukoyede, gave the warning on Wednesday in Abuja at the 2026 Second Council Meeting of the Nigeria Inter-Religious Council (NIREC), where he urged churches, mosques and other faith-based organisations to strengthen their financial and regulatory compliance systems.
Olukoyede stressed that religious leaders who engage in legitimate private businesses should maintain a clear separation between their personal finances and funds entrusted to their organisations.
“When the followers know that there is no difference between the money that is meant to propagate the faith that you stand for and your own personal resources, you miss everything together.
“You are not supposed to mingle in. That’s nothing that says you can’t do any other vocation. You sell cars, you are a farmer and all of that.
“Don’t mix the money from the purse of your organisation with that of your own personal money. Don’t do that. When money is paid to your organisation, don’t divert it to your business.
“That’s criminal and some of our adherents and followers see some of these things we do.”
The EFCC chairman said religious institutions have a significant role to play in Nigeria’s fight against corruption, noting that the influence of religious leaders extends beyond the enforcement powers of anti-graft agencies.
According to Olukoyede, while the EFCC investigates and prosecutes financial crimes, religious communities can help prevent corruption by shaping the character and values of their followers.
He also criticised the practice of celebrating individuals whose sources of wealth are unclear, particularly when such wealth is used to fund prominent religious projects.
“A public servant says he has built a mosque that is worth more than his earnings in the next 500 years. And you go there to dedicate it. You are dedicating the proceeds of crime,” he said.
Olukoyede urged religious leaders to examine the sources of wealth celebrated within their institutions and discourage practices that could give social or religious legitimacy to illicit proceeds.
He further called on churches and mosques to establish clear compliance mechanisms that distinguish organisational funds from the personal resources of their leaders. He said such measures would strengthen accountability and help protect funds contributed by members of religious communities.
The EFCC chairman also encouraged religious leaders to use their platforms to promote honesty and responsible conduct, arguing that preventing corruption requires more than investigations, prosecutions and asset recovery.
He said faith communities could help address the values that allow unexplained wealth and corrupt practices to gain social acceptance, making religious institutions important partners in the broader fight against financial crimes.
