We Probed Pastor Jerry Eze for Six Months Over Money Laundering — EFCC
The Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ola Olukoyede, has revealed that the agency carried out a six-month investigation into the founder of Streams of Joy International, Pastor Jerry Eze, over allegations of money laundering, before clearing him of any wrongdoing.
Olukoyede made the disclosure on Wednesday in Abuja during the Jerry Eze Foundation Business Grant Award Ceremony, which the cleric attended.
He said the investigation was launched after intelligence reports and formal petitions flagged unusually large inflows of foreign currencies into Eze’s domiciliary account.
“We work by intelligence, we work by petitions,” he said.
“At some point, I saw there was an account — a domiciliary account — dollars, pounds were dropping in like raindrops from Colombia, from America, from Sri Lanka, even from Togo.”
He said the scale and spread of the transactions across several countries raised suspicions, prompting a full forensic probe.
“I said, ‘Who is this man?’ I had heard about him, seen his face a couple of times, but never paid attention to what he was doing. I knew he was a pastor,” he added.
Olukoyede explained that EFCC investigators were deployed to examine the accounts and financial records linked to the church and its founder.
“They said this pastor of Streams of Joy — go and investigate him. So we went ahead. We combed the books,” he said.
He noted that Eze was later invited for questioning after preliminary checks, but by the time he appeared before the commission, the EFCC had already completed its review.
“So he came to my office. He explained what he does, how the money comes, how he has been helping people,” Olukoyede said. “But I told him, ‘I didn’t call you here to explain. We have already done our work. I called you to commend you.’”
Despite clearing him, the EFCC chairman said the agency would continue to monitor financial transactions where necessary, stressing that vigilance remains central to its mandate.
He also warned religious leaders against financial misconduct, noting that the commission has investigated and secured convictions involving some clerics, and insisted that places of worship must uphold accountability and integrity.
Titilope Adako is a talented and intrepid journalist, dedicated to shedding light on the untold stories of Osun State and Nigeria. Through incisive reporting, she tackles a broad spectrum of topics, from politics and social justice to culture and entertainment, with a commitment to accuracy, empathy, and inspiring positive change.
