Adeboye ordered refund of billions in illicit donations, says EFCC boss
Adeboye ordered refund of billions in illicit donations, says EFCC boss
The Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Ola Olukoyede, has disclosed that the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, Pastor Enoch Adeboye, ordered the immediate refund of billions of naira donated to a church project after the money was traced to proceeds of crime.
Olukoyede made the revelation while addressing RCCG workers in the early hours of Saturday during a meeting organised by the church ahead of its annual Holy Ghost Congress. He said Adeboye directed that the funds be returned within 24 hours once the church was alerted to their illicit source.
According to the EFCC boss, a church member had donated the large sum towards an RCCG project. Investigations later showed the money came from financial crime. Olukoyede did not name the donor, the specific project or the exact amount involved.
He commended Adeboye for the swift action. “Adeboye ordered the refund shortly after the church was alerted,” he said, describing the response as an example of integrity.
Olukoyede, who is also an ordained pastor, expressed concern over the growing number of cases involving church leaders linked to financial crimes and allegations around contracts for church projects. He warned church workers against accepting suspicious donations or chasing money through questionable means.
He recalled a separate case involving another church allegedly tied to a Ponzi scheme. The leader of that church initially resisted the commission’s intervention but later refunded a substantial amount after the EFCC threatened legal action.
The EFCC chairman cautioned church members against materialism, unhealthy competition and leadership struggles, saying such attitudes could open religious institutions to financial misconduct. He also raised concerns about reports of people allegedly bribing their way into leadership positions within the RCCG.
Olukoyede urged pastors to investigate the sources of donations before accepting them. He stressed that contributions to church projects must not come from criminal activities. The commission, he said, would not spare anyone involved in financial crimes regardless of their religious position or affiliation.
Adeboye responded during the meeting that the RCCG would not protect anyone found to be involved in financial wrongdoing. He also urged pastors in the church to keep clean financial records and ensure their activities remained free from corruption.
The EFCC chairman had been invited by Adeboye to address the workers on financial propriety and the need for churches to maintain transparent financial records.
