The Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Ola Olukoyede, has urged Christian and Muslim leaders to use their pulpits and mosques to intensify the fight against corruption, saying faith communities can help prevent corrupt practices before they require enforcement intervention.
Olukoyede made the call on Wednesday in Abuja at the second 2026 Council Meeting of the Nigeria Inter-Religious Council (NIREC), where the Anti-Corruption Interfaith Manual for religious leaders was launched.
The EFCC chairman said religious institutions have an important role to play in shaping the character and values of Nigerians, noting that the influence of pastors and imams could complement the commission’s enforcement efforts.
He said while the EFCC investigates and prosecutes financial crimes, religious leaders could help cultivate honesty, challenge the pursuit of wealth from questionable sources and discourage attitudes that normalise corruption.
Olukoyede also stressed that corruption should not be viewed through religious or ethnic divisions, noting that financial crimes affect Nigerians across faiths and communities.
According to him, stolen public funds and other corrupt practices have consequences for everyone, including through poorly equipped hospitals, inadequate infrastructure, unemployment and rising living costs.
He urged pastors and imams to use the newly launched manual to educate their followers on the religious teachings against corruption and discourage the pursuit of wealth without regard to its source.
Olukoyede said the EFCC had continued to engage Christian and Muslim leaders through its interfaith framework, adding that the commission believes that both religions reject corruption and fraudulent practices.
He explained that the new manual was developed with the participation of leaders from both faiths and contains the doctrinal positions of Christianity and Islam on corruption.
The Executive Secretary of NIREC, Prof. Cornelius Omonokhua, said the second edition of the anti-corruption preaching and teaching manual was developed through the EFCC’s Interfaith Anti-Corruption Advisory Committee.
Omonokhua said the manual and facilitators’ guides would assist Christian and Muslim preachers in communicating authentic religious teachings against corruption while promoting peaceful coexistence. He added that no nation could achieve sustainable development in the face of corruption at all levels.
Also speaking, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, George Akume, who represented President Bola Tinubu, called for stronger collaboration among religious leaders, traditional rulers and government in addressing insecurity and other challenges confronting the country.
Akume said violence, banditry, kidnapping, communal clashes and terrorism had heightened fear among Nigerians, including parents concerned about sending their children to school. He urged stakeholders to work together to counter narratives that promote division and conflict.
The event was attended by the President of the Christian Association of Nigeria, Rev. Daniel Okoh; Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar; former JAMB Registrar, Prof. Ishaq Oloyede; Emir of Zazzau, Alhaji Ahmed Nuhu Bamalli; and Shehu of Borno, Abubakar Umar El-Kanemi, among others.
