The Executive Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ola Olukoyede, has described as one of the saddest days of his life the moment he ordered the detention of a senior pastor of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) over alleged financial crimes committed in his secular workplace.
Olukoyede, who is also a senior pastor in the RCCG, made the disclosure while addressing church workers and ministers after the monthly Holy Ghost Service at the Redemption City of God, Simawa, Ogun State. The programme was held at the invitation of the General Overseer of RCCG, Pastor Enoch Adejare Adeboye, and had as its theme, "Ethical Standard and Corruption in Christian Community."
Recounting the incident, the EFCC chairman said he had no option but to authorise the detention of the senior cleric because of the evidence available to the commission, stressing that the alleged misconduct did not involve the pastor's activities in the church.
"I say this with every sense of humility. It was a day that I had calls to detain a very senior pastor in this mission. I had no choice. I needed to do it because of what we have seen.
"Not because of his activities, what he perpetrated within the church, no. But because of what happened in his place of work, where he works in his secular activities. I feel things like this should not be happening within the Christian community," he said.
Olukoyede warned church leaders against using the pulpit to promote materialism and questionable sources of wealth, saying the church must not give undue recognition to individuals suspected of involvement in financial crimes.
He said churches should welcome everyone but must not celebrate or elevate people whose wealth was linked to criminal activities.
"Some of us pervert holiness on our altars. We don't preach as much holiness as we do of materialism. It must not be seen in our parishes giving front row to criminals.
"We are not saying we should send them away, but we must not use the altar to promote financial fraudulent activities. Invariably, when you give undue recognition to known 419, people that have committed financial crimes in our churches, then we are encouraging them. When we begin to idolise those who are money bags in the church, there is a problem," he said.
The EFCC chairman, however, commended Adeboye for what he described as his integrity, holiness and zero tolerance for corruption, recounting how the cleric ordered the immediate return of funds traced to RCCG accounts during an investigation into alleged financial crimes.
According to Olukoyede, the commission had investigated an individual over financial transactions involving tens of billions of naira and discovered that some of the funds had been traced to RCCG projects.
He said he personally took the matter to Adeboye, whose reaction, he recalled, demonstrated his commitment to accountability.
Olukoyede said Adeboye immediately summoned some church officials and directed them to return within 24 hours all funds traced to the church from the individual under investigation.
"The reaction on the face of Daddy was like I was almost blaming myself for taking the matter to him. Daddy was visibly angry. He called one or two pastors and said, 'I give you 24 hours. Everything you have traced to RCCG from this particular person who has been indicted, return it within the next 24 hours.'
"That money was returned to the coffers of government. That is what RCCG is known for. That is who we are. We are not the custodian of processes of crime," he said.
The EFCC chairman contrasted Adeboye's response with the alleged handling of a similar situation by another unnamed mega church, where he said individuals accused of fraud operated an investment scheme that cost members billions of naira.
He criticised religious leaders who defend or justify proceeds of crime, insisting that churches must uphold accountability regardless of the status of those involved.
"That is the difference between us and the others. Daddy Adeboye took action immediately he heard about the financial issue when the others are trying to defend it, justify it. Don't justify processes of crime; it's a crime to do that," he said.
Olukoyede also identified materialism, covetousness and the love of money as major drivers of corruption in the Christian community, citing 1 Timothy 6:9-10.
He warned against unhealthy competition among churches to build mega congregations, as well as leadership struggles that encourage financial inducements for ordination and promotion.
According to him, offering or receiving money in exchange for church positions amounts to bribery and abuse of office, adding that both parties involved are culpable.
"Anyone who offers money for ordination and for promotion does not deserve it. He does not deserve it. And we must kick against this in RCCG. Not only those who receive, those who also offer are also criminally liable. What you are doing is bribery. You want to bribe your way to the top. And most people do that. They crash at the end of the day," he said.
In a challenge to members of the public, the EFCC chairman dared anyone who had offered him a bribe that he accepted in the course of his work to come forward.
He said he had spent 10 years working with the anti-graft agency, serving as Chief of Staff, Secretary to the Commission and eventually its chairman.
"I challenge anyone who has ever offered me a bribe and I took it in the course of my work to come out. By the grace of God, this is my 10th year in this work. I was Chief of Staff, later Secretary to the Commission and by divine providence, the Commission's chairman," he said.
He urged Christians to hold themselves to the same ethical standards they demand of public officials, warning that corruption within religious institutions undermines the credibility of the church.
"We don't have the right to accuse people in government of stealing money when some of us are doing worse things in the church. This must stop. That evil must stop," he said.
Olukoyede further urged RCCG members to conduct themselves in ways that would protect the reputation of the church and the Christian faith, noting that unethical practices could discourage people from embracing Christianity.
He expressed confidence that the church could become a model of integrity and accountability if its members embraced righteousness and holiness.
"By righteousness, you can win. By holiness, you can win. And in the mighty name of Jesus, that wind has begun to blow in the Redeemed Christian Church of God. This church will be a model to the entire world. They will come and copy our processes and our systems with respect to the sanctity of our processes," he said. The event was attended by thousands of church workers and ministers.