The Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ola Olukoyede, says Pastor Enoch Adeboye ordered the return of billions of naira paid into Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) projects. Adeboye, the church’s General Overseer, gave the order after the anti-graft agency traced the money to suspected proceeds of crime.
Olukoyede made the disclosure while addressing RCCG workers and ministers at the Redemption City of God, the church’s camp along the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway in Ogun State. He spoke in the early hours of Saturday, November 7, after the church’s monthly Holy Ghost Service. The remarks were first reported by Church Times Nigeria and have since been carried by several national newspapers, including Vanguard and P.M. News.
“I Give You 24 Hours”
According to the reports, the EFCC found that large sums linked to a person under investigation for alleged financial crimes had gone into some RCCG projects. P.M. News described the person as a church member who donated towards a project. Neither the donor’s identity nor the exact amount was disclosed. Olukoyede said only that the money ran into billions of naira, and that the suspect’s wider transactions ran into tens of billions.
The EFCC chairman said that once the commission briefed Adeboye, the cleric told church officials to return the money within 24 hours. Vanguard quoted Adeboye as telling them, “I give you 24 hours.” Olukoyede said the funds were then returned to the government.
He praised the RCCG leader’s quick response and said it showed zero tolerance for corruption.
Another Church Resisted, Olukoyede Says
Olukoyede compared the RCCG’s response with that of another, unnamed church. He said that church was linked to an investment scheme in which members lost billions of naira. According to him, its leader at first resisted returning the money and only refunded after the commission threatened legal action.
He warned that churches must not hide or “clean” criminal money by accepting it as offerings or project donations. “Don’t justify processes of crime; it’s a crime to do that,” he was quoted as saying. He urged pastors to ask questions about the source of unusually large gifts.
Warning on Bribery for Church Positions
Olukoyede, who is himself known to be a member of the RCCG, also spoke about money changing hands for church appointments. He said giving or receiving money in exchange for ordination or promotion is bribery, and that both the giver and the receiver can be prosecuted.
He also said the EFCC had approved the detention of a senior RCCG pastor over alleged offences connected to that pastor’s secular job, not church work. He did not name the pastor. Olukoyede added that religious status would not protect anyone from prosecution. He also challenged anyone who claims to have bribed him in the course of his work to come forward.
The EFCC chairman criticised preaching that promotes materialism. He warned against rivalry and leadership struggles in churches, and said Christians should hold themselves to the same standards they demand of public officials.
Adeboye Reaffirms Stance
According to P.M. News, Adeboye restated the church’s opposition to corruption. He said the RCCG would not protect wrongdoers, and urged its officials to keep accurate records and remain accountable.
Olukoyede has spoken out on corruption in religious bodies before. In July 2024, he said some religious organisations were more corrupt than public offices. The latest remarks come weeks before the RCCG’s annual Holy Ghost Congress, one of the largest Christian gatherings in Africa.
Sources: Church Times Nigeria, as reported by Vanguard and P.M. News.
