Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ola Olukoyede, has disclosed the involvement of a religious body in Nigeria laundering money for terrorist organizations.
This information was revealed during a one-day dialogue on “Youth, Religion, and the Fight against Corruption” held at the Musa Yar’Adua Centre in Abuja on Wednesday.
Olukoyede revealed that another religious body was found to be harbouring a money launderer.
This was uncovered after funds suspected to be part of a money laundering operation were traced to the organization’s bank account.
The EFCC Chairman emphasized that these findings indicate the extent to which religious organizations, institutions, and bodies have become entangled in financial crimes, particularly money laundering activities.
Olukoyede said,
“A religious sect in this country had been found to be laundering money for terrorists.”
“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”.
