EFCC Chair: Religious Body Laundering Money for Terrorists

*Agency traces N7bn proceeds of fraud to another religious body

Kingsley Nwezeh in Abuja

The Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ola Olukoyede, has revealed that the anti-graft agency uncovered how a religious sect in Nigeria was laundering money for terrorists.

He also revealed that the agency traced N7 billion suspected to be proceeds of fraud to a religious organisation.

He also disclosed 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.

The EFCC boss made the disclosure in Abuja, during a one-day dialogue on “Youth, Religion, and the Fight against Corruption.”

He stated that religious organisations, institutions, sects, and bodies, were found culpable of money laundering.

“We were able to trace some laundered money to a religious organisation and when we apporached the religious organisation about it and we were carrying out our investigation, we got a restraining order stopping us from carrying out our investigation”, he said.

Olukoyede further stated that the EFCC was investigating a N13 billion fraud case when it discovered N7 billion linked to a religious body.

He said the organisation quickly obtained a restraining order to prevent the EFCC from inviting its leaders.

Olukoyede further said the commission will not give up on the investigation as it was appealing the restraining order in order to recover the stolen funds.

He further said that another unnamed religious body was also linked to laundering money for a terrorist group responsible for the death of thousands of Nigerians.