Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ola Olukoyede, has revealed that he once ordered a six-month investigation into popular cleric Jerry Eze over suspected money laundering, only for the probe to take an unexpected turn.
Speaking at the Jerry Eze Foundation Business Grant Award Ceremony, Olukoyede said the commission acted on intelligence and petitions after noticing massive inflows into a domiciliary account linked to the pastor.
“I investigated this man for six months. Yeah. For money laundering. We work by intelligence, we work by petitions,” he said.
According to him, the transactions raised eyebrows due to their global origins. “At some point, I saw there was an account, a domiciliary account. Dollars, pounds were dropping in like raindrops, you know, from Colombia, from, you know, from America, from Sri Lanka, even from Togo.”
Curious about the identity behind the account, he said, “I said, ‘Who is this man?’ they said, ‘This one, Pastor Jerry Eze of Streams of Joy, go and investigate him.’”
He explained that after a thorough review, he invited the cleric for questioning. Recounting their first meeting, Olukoyede admitted he almost didn’t recognise him.
“I was almost about to say, ‘Go and call your pastor, my friend,’ and ‘Go and bring your bishop!’”
However, after hearing Eze’s explanation, the EFCC boss said his perspective changed.
“I said, ‘You know what? I didn’t call you here to explain to me. We have already done our work. I called you here to commend you.’”
The revelation drew applause from the audience, as Olukoyede used the moment to stress integrity, lamenting that some religious leaders are currently under investigation or have been convicted for fra¥d
