The Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Ola Olukoyede, has revealed that the agency investigated Jerry Eze, lead pastor of Streams of Joy International, for six months over alleged money laundering but found no evidence of wrongdoing.
Olukoyede made the disclosure during the Jerry Eze Foundation Business Grant Award held in Abuja, noting that the investigation was triggered by intelligence reports and petitions received by the commission.
According to him, the probe focused on financial transactions involving foreign inflows from multiple countries, including Colombia, the United States, Sri Lanka, and Togo.
“There was an account where dollars and pounds were dropping like raindrops,” Olukoyede said, adding that despite the volume and pattern of transactions, the EFCC found nothing suspicious after a thorough investigation.
The EFCC boss used the opportunity to express concern over rising cases of fraud involving some religious leaders, revealing that several clerics are currently under investigation or have been convicted for financial crimes.
“Sometimes I wish we would change the words ‘church’ and ‘mosque’ and instead describe them as assemblies of righteous people,” he said, lamenting that both Christian and Islamic leaders have been implicated in fraudulent activities.
He, however, maintained that the case involving Pastor Eze ended without any adverse findings, effectively clearing him of the allegations.
