RismadarVoice Reporters
September 23, 2026
The Executive Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Ola Olukoyede, has urged religious leaders across Nigeria to promote teachings that discourage corruption and financial crimes among their followers.
Olukoyede made the call on Wednesday, September 23, 2026, in Abuja during the second 2026 Council Meeting of the Nigeria Inter-Religious Council and the launch of the Anti-Corruption Interfaith Manual for religious leaders.
In his presentation, themed “Shared Sacred Flourishing in Nigeria,” the EFCC chairman said the fight against corruption required the collective responsibility of citizens and institutions, including religious organisations.
He said corruption undermines the wellbeing of society by diverting resources meant for the common good to private interests.
“Corruption privatises what is shared, converts the commonwealth into private advantage, and allows one person to flourish by making many others poorer,” Olukoyede said.
He added that the EFCC’s role was to protect the integrity of the nation’s commonwealth while religious institutions could contribute by promoting honesty and responsible conduct.
According to him, Christianity and Islam can maintain their distinct beliefs and traditions while encouraging their adherents to work together for peace, justice, human dignity and national development.
Olukoyede said the EFCC had, through its interfaith engagements, been encouraging religious leaders to incorporate anti-corruption messages into their sermons and teachings.
“We have been doing this through the interfaith framework. Over the years, we have specifically spelt out what should be the roles of religious leaders and the doctrine they need to pass down to their followers,” he said.
“We believe that no religion condones corruption and no faith entertains fraudulent engagements.”
The EFCC chairman said the commission had also worked with Christian and Muslim leaders over the years to develop the Anti-Corruption Interfaith Manual, which outlines the positions of religious texts on corruption.
“We are using this opportunity to launch the Manual, which we hope our religious leaders will surely find useful in preaching anti-corruption messages to their members,” he said.
Olukoyede stressed that corruption and financial crimes affect Nigerians irrespective of their religion or ethnic background.
“Financial crime has no religion. Corruption has no tribe. Fraud does not become Christian or Muslim because of the identity of the person accused of committing it,” he said.
He explained that the consequences of corruption, including poorly equipped hospitals, bad roads, unemployment and inflation, affect communities across religious and ethnic lines.
The EFCC chairman urged pastors and imams to use the manual to educate their congregations on the consequences of corruption and why financial crimes should be rejected.
He also called on religious institutions to play a stronger role in shaping the character and values of Nigerians.
“Religious institutions have extraordinary responsibility in Nigeria’s anti-corruption struggle. The EFCC can investigate a person’s conduct. Faith communities can influence that person’s character,” Olukoyede said.
“We can prosecute fraud. Religious teaching can cultivate honesty. We can confiscate illicit wealth. Churches and mosques can challenge the values that make society worship wealth without questioning its source.”
He added that while law enforcement agencies could punish corruption after it occurred, religious teachings could help prevent such conduct by shaping people’s values before they engaged in wrongdoing.
