Olukoyede: We’ve uncovered religious sect laundering money for terrorists

Ola Olukoyede, chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), says the agency has uncovered a religious organisation in the country that launders money for terrorists.

Olukoyede spoke in Abuja on Wednesday during a dialogue on “Youth, religion, and the fight against corruption”.

Olukoyede said a religious organisation has dragged the agency to court to protect its leader from being interrogated, after laundered money was traced to the sect’s bank account.

He disclosed that the religious body got a court injunction restraining the commission from inviting, arresting or prosecuting its leader.

The EFCC chairman said the anti-graft agency has appealed the decision.

“As I stand before you there is a matter we are handling of over N30 billion fleeced from Nigeria, and we were able to trace N7 billion to a particular religious body,” NAN quoted Olukoyede as saying.

“As we wrote a letter to the leader, the next thing we saw was a restraining order, stopping us from inviting them and stopping us from recovering the money.

“Of course, we have appealed.

“Sometime ago, we investigated the issue of money laundering. Somewhere in this country, there is a particular religious sect that launders money for terrorists. These are the problems we are battling with.”

The EFCC chairman appealed to religious leaders to preach messages that glorify hard work and contentment.

“To our faith leaders, my appeal is that those who lead our society from churches and mosques should develop messages that glorify industry, hard work, probity and contentment over riches, irrespective of how it was made,” he added.

“We all must stand up and be counted in the efforts to reset the mentality of our youths that the fast lane to affluence is fraud.”